Convergence of Destiny
by Zutaraaa21
Summary: A few key moments in the Crystal Caves under Ba Sing Se. Less of a crossroads, more of a convergence. Zutara.
1. Chapter 1

**EDITED: You might be confused if you've read this before. Content wise, nothing has changed. It **_**is **_**however written differently (and way better I think) with emphasis on different things and 2 pages longer so you might want to read again *shrug*. **

Idly, Katara loosed and rebraided the ends of her hair as she contemplated her..._unfortunate_ position.

_That's just my luck, captured and alone with the stupid, honor-obsessed Fire Prince again. _

Katara huffed angrily from her makeshift seat on a patch of floor as far from Zuko as she could get. Even stuck in these caves with Zuko's ominous presence hanging over her like storm clouds, she could feel the effects of the full moon energizing her and making her blood boil in her veins. She looked up, hoping to catch a glimpse of the satellite that provided her bending; the one sure constant in her life despite her travels and the war.

Unbidden, a memory swam to the top of her mind. The early morning her father and the warriors had left the South Pole all those years ago had been miserable. It had been early enough that the moon still hung low on the horizon, hanging on to the last dredges of nighttime as streaks of light began to cross the sky.

Even then, Katara had not been early enough to catch her father before he left.

When she got cold enough, the Waterbender returned from the docks to her icy home, tear tracks frozen on her cheeks. Her grandmother had been waiting for her, just outside the door, a resigned expression on her face.

Katara had collapsed into her arms. "Why did he have to go?" she sobbed, as her grandmother rubbed her back. The pair sat in relative silence for some time, watching the moon dip lower as Katara's sobs slowed, then subsided. She rubbed her swollen eyes hard with her mittens, and peeked up at Gran Gran's face.

"I know it is hard Katara", her Grandmother sighed wearily. "Some days, I feel I have grown tired of people leaving too. Some days, leaving seems to be all that people do."

Katara was silent. This was the first time her childlike mind had realized that other people would miss her father as well. Hakoda was not just her dad, he was the Chief of their Tribe; which meant he had a responsibility to them _all_.

Kanna easily seemed to read the direction of her thoughts. "Yes my little Waterbender, we all have responsibilities. And that includes you too," she smiled gently at her granddaughter. "Do you think your father would have left if he didn't trust you and you brother to take care of the Tribe too?"

Even as Katara nodded, her bottom lip quivered with unshed tears. "Dad has taught us so much about navigation, about how to read the stars. But sometimes...sometimes I still feel very lost Gran Gran", Katara admitted. " Won't Dad miss us at all? How do I know what I'm supposed to do?"

Her Grandmother smiled at her once more, drawing Katara into her lap as she wrapped one arm around her torso and used the other to point at the now bright sky.

"Did you know the moon is always in the sky?" She asked Katara, who shook her head. "Our ancestors drew strength from the moon. _We",_ she poked Katara's chest lightly, "draw strength from the moon. We would not be able to exist, if the moon was not always there." She picked up Katara's smaller hand in her own, circling the moons faint position. "Your Father can look up at the moon, from the deck of the head ship, and know it is the same moon our ancestors have looked upon for generations. It is the same moon your mother stood under when she lived, and it is the same moon we sit under right now."

Katara looked at her Grandmother in confusion, tears threatening to spill over again. "But that doesn't tell me what I'm supposed to do! I'm just a kid," she said resignedly. Gran Gran merely chuckled.

"My dear child, _no one _in this world knows exactly what they are to do. Not even me, and I'm old!" she joked. "What is important, in times of great stress, when there are many problems to solve and the answers seem far away, is that we can take comfort in something greater than ourselves," she gestured to the moon. "You can look up at the moon, take comfort in its strength, and know your ancestors, your father, and your tribe have all looked up before and pondered that exact same thing."

In the cave, a strong wave of loneliness enveloped Katara as she held tight to the memory of Gran Gran until it faded away into the recesses of her mind. Her Grandmother's advice was often like that— a non answer that gave her more questions. And yet, she somehow managed to make her feel at peace every time. Katara let her head fall back, her long braid brushing the floor, eyes scanning the ceiling for what she somehow knew was there.

It was a small crack, no wider than her thumb, but there was no mistaking the light coming down shining on her face. Looking through the crack, she could only see a sliver of the moon, but she knew the rest was there, as it always will be, as it always _has been_.

_Alright moon, _Katara thought as she once again glanced around the cave, at her reticent fellow prisoner, at the sheer hopelessness of the situation, _What should I do?_

Despite the fact that they were in an underground cave, a strange breeze rustled the strands of Katara's hair. The breeze seemed to wrap around her, smelling like the inside of an igloo on a particularly cold day. It smelt like ice and ashes, warmth and _home. _

Against her will, her eyes were drawn in the direction of the breeze and she caught the eyes of the Fire Prince before he quickly dropped his gaze to the ground. Driven by an urge she didn't understand, Katara willed his eyes to meet hers again. There was something there…

To her surprise, Zuko looked up once more. Unlike every other time they had met, separated by a veil of anger, betrayal, and responsibilities far too great for either of their soldiers, his guard was down. He didn't seem to be aware of it, resolutely holding her gaze as she read the turmoil behind his eyes she had never seen before.

"Do you...do you know why you're here?" Katara asked lamely. Zuko sat silent, gazing at her while she felt her anger slowly rise in the face of his seemingly ignoring her, until he spoke so quietly she had to strain to hear it.

"I think my being born was reason enough," he mutters, the hurt in his voice clear despite the quiet tone.

Katara was getting increasingly uncomfortable. Feelings? As far as she knew, no one in the Fire Nation had any of those. And since when did Zuko actually care about the questions that came out of her peasant mouth?

"Is this a trap?" she asked, though even as the words left her mouth, her head shook in denial of its own accord. Zuko smiled ruefully.

"My uncle does always say I never think things through. But even _I_ wouldn't construct a trap like this."

Katara nodded absently, shuffling across the floor to move slightly closer to the scarred older boy. The haze of anger that had always surrounded him keeping her at a distance seemed to have reversed. Now it was drawing her in, making her continue to make conversation with the royal against her better judgment.

"No offense, but...why are you talking to me?" Katara asked somewhat timidly. "You're usually…"

"Following you across the world and attempting to hunt down the Avatar?" Zuko asked sardonically.

"Well...yeah," Katara admitted. She nervously tucked one of hair loopies behind her ear. "Though I suppose I shouldn't blame you. You're the Fire Lord's son," she muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Zuko asked angrily, the first hint of the fiery haze of anger that usually surrounded the royal, though it was still not nearly the vehemence she usually received.

"Spreading war, violence, _hatred_!" Katara yelled, "It's practically in your blood!" she spat, suddenly angry as well. Here was the son of the man who had taken everything from her. Her blood boiled even hotter in her veins, the months of stress caused by him allowing her to ignore the little voice in her head telling her to talk to him and the magnetic, niggling feeling that had subconsciously moved her even closer to Zuko during their conversation. She had expected him to meet her in kind, as he always had before, blasts of hot fire in contrast to her ice. But he didn't.

"You don't know what you're talking about," he muttered, no heat behind his words. There it was again; that pain in his eyes. All at once, the anger seeped out of her, and yet, she kept going. He _needed _to understand.

"This war has taken so much from me", Katara admitted, the catharsis of talking about her struggles making her feel slightly light-headed. Leading the group, being their makeshift mother and keeping everyone together didn't exactly give her a lot of time to contemplate her own feelings. In some ways, Katara felt as if she had been moving on auto pilot since…

"The Fire Nation took my mother from me," Katara watched in surprise as a tear landed on the back of her hand, then she jumped as a shadow crossed her patch of moonlight.

Zuko was standing awkwardly over her, clearly not knowing what to do with a crying waterbender. His hand fiddled idly with the hem of his tunic, and he couldn't meet her gaze.

"I'm sorry," he said. "That's something we have in common."

She looked up at him questioningly, confused by not only his words, but the way her body tingled as she looked up at him, a halo of moonlight glinting off his inky black hair, his scar standing out in sharp relief against his pale skin.

"I guess I'm sorry too...for yelling at you before," Katara ground out. The magnetic draw she had been feeling was suddenly so much stronger than before, and her words caught in her throat. Her blood was still boiling, but in a different way entirely. _Is it because he's closer? _Katara wondered.

While she thought, Zuko had continued to stand over Katara awkwardly until the Waterbender patted the space on the ground next to her in silent invitation. The Prince sat close enough to her to share her patch of moonlight, and the longing intensified to dig a chasm in her chest that took her breath away. _So definitely because of Zuko, _she confirmed to herself, peeking at him from under her lashes.

If he was bothered by whatever she was feeling, he didn't let on. "Aren't you angry with me? Why are you sorry?" He asked, the question full of genuine curiosity.

"You are your Father's son," Katara answered slowly. "But you are not your Father. It's just...for so long now, ever since I left my village, every time I imagined the face of the enemy...I saw you."

"I see," Zuko said ruefully, folding in on himself and brushing his knuckles against his scar, "My face."

"No!" she countered strongly, grabbing his arm. "That's not what I meant."

Zuko looked at the hand laying on his arm in surprise, but made no effort to move it. Instead, his own pale hand ghosted over hers in some vague gesture of comfort.

"It's okay. I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished Prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever." He glanced at Katara, and seemed surprised when her eyes met his own, but held her gaze as he continued. "Lately...I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark."

_Is this real? _Katara asked herself wonderingly as she pondered Zuko's words. If Katara was being honest with herself, the Fire Prince had always fascinated her. After months of traveling with the Gaang, she had had more adventures then she had ever thought possible while stuck in her frozen village at the bottom of the world. Zuko was the first person from another nation she had met other than Aang, and the first teenager like herself. And yet, he had been so angry, so hardened and _frightening_ that it had cemented her preconceived notions of the Fire Nation better than before. Then she had met Azula, and the image of all Fire Nation children being evil, selfish people willing to attack their own family members had been further made clear.

And yet, Katara had bumped into the same man days ago, doing manual labor and helping his Uncle run a tea shop! It couldn't be possible, but the Prince…._he's changed_, Katara realized as she studied his face. She thought briefly about what this information meant, how this could help the course of the war...then she threw all those thoughts to the side. There were many problems outside this cave, but they all felt distant. Under the moonlight, with nothing but the quiet _drip drop _of some distant water, Katara threw caution to the wind.

"Maybe...maybe you could be free of it." Zuko's head snapped towards her in surprise. "I have healing abilities," she explained, but he was already shaking his head.

"It's a scar," he said resignedly, "It can't be healed." Katara slumped in disappointment for a second, barely noticing Zuko's hand come up as if to comfort her again, then drop back to his lap. As she dipped her head in thought, the chain around her neck tickled her skin. _The water from the Spirit Oasis! _Without hesitation, she pulled the chain out from under her shirt and held the small vial under the light.

"This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special healing properties, so I've been saving it for something important," Zuko eyed the innocuous vial. "I don't know if it would work, but…" Unbidden, her hand slowly lifted until it rested against the ruined skin of his scar. The moonlight seemed to coalesce into a single point, all the heat in her body rushing to the tips of her fingers where her skin touched his. A blush rose to his cheeks and Katara felt hers heat up as well.

"If you've been saving it for something important, why would you use it on me?" Zuko asked, hope flitting somewhere behind his eyes. The pull was stronger than ever now, her blood was boiling under her skin, she was leaning in...

Dimly, Katara heard the sounds of the cave wall exploding in a shower of dust as Aang and Iroh finally reached them. She heard Aang call her name, but she couldn't bring herself to respond as she stared at Zuko, and he stared back, wonder in his eyes. The point where her hand touched his cheek had diffused across her skin, the warmth feeling white hot, and yet it did not burn. The empty chasm in her chest had not only filled, but it was now overflowing with a relief so unexpected and profound, this was perfection, this was _belonging_, they almost didn't want to let go—

Then the connection was broken. Aang, startled by Katara's closeness and overcome with relief to have found her nearly tackled her in a hug, knocking her hand from Zuko's cheek. Katara was allowed to feel happiness at seeing Aang for all of five seconds.

Then the emptiness came back with a vengeance. Their magnetic connection now took on a life of its own, pulling and reaching, clawing and twisting towards the Fire Prince being embraced from his Uncle next to them. As they stood, Katara nearly doubled over in discomfort, though Aang luckily didn't notice, and clutched at her chest, futilely trying to soothe the ache.

"Katara, we found you!" Aang exclaimed. Katara resisted the urge to slap her hands over her ears. The sounds were too loud, this was all wrong…

She tried to speak, to tell Aang something, _anything_, but her throat was suddenly drier than it had ever been in her life. Katrara coughed and nearly choked as she shivered with intense cold, attempting to pull water from her trusty skin to quench her thirst, forgetting the Dai Li had stripped her of her weapon when they threw her down there. _I need to tell Aang about Zuko_, Katara chanted as she tried to get her throat to work. "Zuko...he," she began haltingly as her eyes darted to the subject of her thoughts.

Even in this dim light, her awareness of the Prince had increased ten-fold, and she could easily see through the facade he put up for his Uncle. She saw the fatigue on his face, the way he was slumped just a hair to the side. She noticed his eyes, though clearly happy at seeing his Uncle, darting feverishly side to side, resembling a trapped animal.

"Katara?" Aang questioned, finally picking up on something being wrong and getting concerned, "Is something wrong? Did he hurt you?" His expression took on his take at menacing fear and rage, largely falling short. She shook her head vehemently, but swayed with just that action and Aang immediately wrapped his arms around her waist. _What's wrong with me?_ Katara wondered, starting to feel slightly panicky. She and Aang both looked at Zuko, the latter with accusations in his eyes, but Zuko ignored the Avatar in favor of meeting Katara's gaze. Looking into his eyes made the longing even worse, and Zuko hurried towards them to catch Katara as she stumbled and nearly fell.

Aang stared at his Waterbending master in worry. "Katara, maybe you should rest."

Setting her upright and surreptitiously keeping a hand at the small of her back for support, Zuko turned to Aang. "There's no time, Avatar. We have to get out of here before Azula shows up."

Aang balked. "Hey! I don't take orders─"

"He's right Aang," Katara interrupted soothingly. The warmth seeping up her back from where she and Zuko were touching soothed her throat like the best Jasmine tea. The energy from the full moon and their tingling connection focused her on getting out of the caves. She looked to Aang beseechingly, taking his hand and propelling him forwards.

"Here. You take the lead with Earthbending." Aang looked suspiciously between her and Zuko, but the Prince betrayed nothing in his expression.

"Don't worry Avatar, I'll make sure she doesn't fall," he smirked. Katara mentally elbowed Zuko and looked to Aang pleadingly again until the Airbender relented, turning to the opposite side of the cave.

They walked in silence, the air thick with tension. General Iroh was the only one who seemed unaffected bringing up the rear; every time Katara turned back he had a cheshire grin on his face.

The Prince...well she didn't know what to make of it. He kept his hand on the small of her back as they walked, and the buzzing warmth between them had only gotten stronger with their connection. Zuko refused to look at her, no matter how many times she glanced up at his face, but he had taken to rubbing his thumb slowly back and forth at the base of her spine. She shivered, though she was far from cold.

_Don't tell them, _Katara heard faintly from the back of her head. _We'll figure this out when we get out of here. _

She looked at him in surprise and this time he met her gaze. He shrugged one shoulder at her questioning gaze. _How did he do that? _She nodded almost imperceptibly, and a half smile appeared on his face, a blush rising on his one pale cheek.

_Well, if he could talk to her_...Katara thought. She focused as hard as she could on the warmth between them, on the point at the base of her spine where his thumb had not stopped its lazy circles. She had so many questions, yet somehow the first one that floated to the top was:

_Did it hurt? Before, this I mean. _Zuko looked at her in surprise and wonder. She could see the gears working in his head as his thumb became more insistent, nearly massaging her now. His brow furrowed with effort.

_Yes. _

_And now?_

He smirked, snaking his arm around her waist and back again, his hand ghosting across Katara's stomach and leaving a white hot path of warmth in its wake. She shuddered.

_You know how it feels now. _

Katara nodded absently as she tried to slow her breathing. _What is he doing to me? _

It was very clear now, she and the Firebender were connected somehow. The warmth and acceptance she felt just by touching him was almost addicting. She shuddered as Zuko seemed to pick up on her thoughts, wickedly ghosting his fingers up and down her spine. _Okay, definitely addicting, _she amended.

And yet, the feeling when they weren't touching was the complete opposite. The empty dryness, the longing. _I doubt I could even bend right, _she realized in fear, looking to Zuko feeling slightly panicky. Zuko interrupted her spiraling as the hand left her back to comfortingly rub her shoulder.

_We'll figure this out, I promise. _

Before they could talk anymore, the older firebender appeared beside them.

"I would like to speak to my nephew for a moment, if you please," General Iroh asked amenably. Zuko appeared annoyed at the interruption, his hand gripping her waist tightly.

"Can't it wait, Uncle?" he asked irritably. Katara looked at him in surprise at his tone, but he ignored her in favor of glaring at his Uncle. The older man showed no sign of hearing the recalcitrance in his voice, simply grinning in the face of Zuko's anger.

"I fear it is most important, my nephew." Zuko seemed to sense an urgency as he looked at Katara apologetically. She found herself taking a deep breath in preparation as Zuko released her and stepped away from her side.

She breathed out a sigh of relief as Iroh put a fatherly hand on Zuko's shoulder and lead him slightly away. It _hurt_, but not nearly as bad as before. The clawing emptiness had been replaced with a slightly smaller hole, though the lack of warmth caused her immediately to start shivering violently. Katara took a deep breath and tried to focus on the one remaining spot of warmth where Zuko's hand had rested. Her awareness of him immediately increased, somehow orienting her chi to exactly where he was in the cavern and abating the emptiness in her chest. She hurried to catch up with Aang, but chanced a glance back to where the two royals stood.

A bead of sweat slowly trickled down Zuko's cheek.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

**Author's Note: I write as things come to me because I believe a writer has no business writing something that doesn't come to life in their mind. This is why I often leave things unfinished. My conclusion is that I make no promises on this one, though I do already have 3 more chapters and am bursting with ideas for another 2. I also write while drinking copious amounts of wine so there's that.**

**These first few chapters will be of different viewpoints, slightly overlapping. These are just to set up the characters for the rest of the story and we can get a feel of their characters again. After all, while this story is formed vaguely in my head, I want to write them as true to themselves as possible, so I need to explore what they do with the small things? I have no idea if this makes sense it is late. Anyways, let me know if you enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

Zuko watched the Waterbender and the Avatar disappear into the shadows of the dim cave, hand absentmindedly coming up to scratch his chest where a fiery itch had started as soon as Katara had left his side.

The Prince wondered at the feeling. Zuko was not unfamiliar with longing. He had longed for the love of his father as long as he could remember. When his mother had disappeared, the hole in his chest from missing her had grown even bigger. Throughout his banishment, adrift of his homeland and birthright as he had been for the last three years, Zuko had assumed this was the height of his suffering. He had reached rock bottom, known pain like no other, and the only place there was left to go was up.

Now, he had somehow gone even lower. The feeling of panic welling up inside him when Katara had left his side was like no other. The pressure to not screw this up, to begin his journey to redemption and regain his honor, felt like the weight of a thousand bricks.

He had been feeling conflicted about the Fire Nation's war on the rest of the world for sometime now, though he had always been hesitant to voice his feelings out loud to the only other person in his life. The existence he and his uncle had built in Ba Sing Se had always felt fragile and delicate, and he didn't want to bring it all crashing down with his thoughts of reality.

His reality was fractured and...fuzzy. Zuko had always been a man of action. All those years on his ship, adrift of his people, his throne, he had kept himself busy by consistently making a plan for action. He had barely taken breaks, relentlessly scouring the world for any sign of the myth that was the Avatar. Of course, his penchant for action had foiled his own plans because he didn't tend to think them through, that he could admit.

Nevertheless, a man of action he was. A _place_ of action Ba Sing Se was not. Though the life as refugees he had built with his uncle had been peaceful, he had been looking for a way to prove his metamorphosis fever right. He wanted to know what change he had undergone. He wanted to be presented with his reality to see if it had become clearer. Being faced with Azula had given him that opportunity and he felt as though he squandered it being dragged away by the Dai Li to some secret prison.

That is, until he saw the Waterbender there.

Here, _here _was another chance to confront his reality. Other than the Avatar, there was no better person to represent a confrontation with his other side, his _good_ side, than the Avatar's Waterbending master.

He thought of the first time he had seen her, when he raided her village and manhandled her grandmother. The memory still made him wince to this day, but when confronted with her anger in the cave, he had clammed up. He didn't feel that he should apologize for things he had done in the past that he had felt were necessary. Deep down, he had been extremely affected by the hostility he had experienced for being known as Fire Nation throughout his travels. Instead of being thankful and welcoming, people were angry and filled with fear. If the knowledge and culture the Fire Nation ostentatiously sought to spread through this war was so great, wouldn't the people be loving and grateful? Surely they would've won by now, the other nations conceding after 100 years of fighting that their culture was superior. There was also always that voice in the back of his head that questioned how fair it was that one nation was no longer here to see this change. The Air Nomads had been exterminated simply due to the possibility that the Avatar was in their midst and he hadn't been. He'd been frozen at the South Pole. His people had essentially died for nothing, a whole way of life, a whole part of the balance ceasing to exist.

And while there was the side the Waterbender represented, there was also the Waterbender herself. _Katara_, he tried to say in his thoughts. After all, he thought cynically, it looked as though he should be getting used to spending a lot of time in her presence.

_Not just in her presence, touching her. _

Oblivious to his Uncle observing him, Zuko winced. He could not deny the Waterbender was beautiful. She looked nothing like all the other girls back home, her bright blue eyes boring into making it impossible to lie. Sitting so close to her in the patch of moonlight, he had been uncomfortably aware in the cave of the depth of his sudden attraction. What's more is, unlike every girl he had been involved with prior, she seemed to feel the same depth of attraction for him too. He had allowed himself to get carried away in the caves by themselves, swept up in the feeling of her soft hands on his cheek.

Then the spell had been broken in a literal explosion as the wall came down. Seeing Katara in the Avatar's arms had made his blood boil like nothing else. The fire in his chest threatened to overwhelm him as one thought flashed across his mind: _mine. _

_What's wrong with me? _Zuko thought, slightly worried now that the adrenaline of the Waterbender's touch had calmed down. He struggled to focus his thoughts on the task at hand as he chanced a glance at the cause of his distraction, accidentally meeting her eye. Unbidden, a blush rose to his cheeks and, with great effort, he ripped his eyes away from her gaze.

He looked to his Uncle. In the time that he had been mulling over his thoughts, his Uncle had seemingly been doing the same thing. Zuko fought against the urge to blurt out everything he was thinking and every question he had as he waited for his uncharastically serious Uncle to speak.

"Zuko," he began, "the time has come for you to chose".

This had been the conversation he had been dreading. He knew the time was coming, he had been simultaneously begging for it to come and dreading its approach while playing as a tea server. He wanted to make the right choice, he just wished he knew what the right choice was.

He thought again of the Waterbender, _Katara_, of how he felt when she selflessly offered a rare gift to help an almost total stranger, someone who had previously been an enemy. The feeling of acceptance and encouragement and _hope_ was something he felt like he had been looking for his whole life. He found it with his mother, but then he lost her. He constantly disappointed his father and his sister, and for all the hope and belief his Uncle had in him, he was constantly floundering and not living up to it.

The acceptance from Katara had felt unconditional and, while he didn't know what this..._thing _ between them was, he wanted to find out.

He wanted to convey all of this to his Uncle but he didn't think the words would come out right. A part of him desperately longed for his Uncle's advice, but was afraid of his reaction to their strange connection at the same time. He shifted uncomfortably and pushed up the loose sleeves of his robe as he felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead.

"Something is wrong," his Uncle stated without question as he examined his nephew with appraising eyes. He glanced in the direction the Waterbender had gone off in. "She didn't hurt you, did she?"

His tone conveyed his own disbelief in his question, so he didn't deign to respond. The silence continued for some time, but when his Uncle finally opened his mouth to say more, the glowing green crystal sprouting from the floor sprung up to create a makeshift cage.

"Uncle!" He yelled. Iroh slumped forward in his cage, looking trapped and defeated. Zuko grew pale with panic as he realized he could hear fighting off in the next cave.

He could also hear his sister's voice.

"Go!" Uncle yelled. Zuko paused for a long moment, conflicted. If he left his Uncle here right now, there was no guarantee he would be able to rescue him. He would no doubt be captured as a traitor and delivered to his brother in chains. If he joined the fight now, on the Avatar's side, the fragile existence they had built as refugees would truly cease to exist. Everything would change.

A distant scream of anger shocked him action. He had heard that sound many times before, been the unfortunate punching bag for that anger many times. _Katara_, just the thought of her name floated through his mind on a cooling wave, calming his turmoil and the uncomfortable fire in his chest. He took a deep breath, and focused.

"I'll be back Uncle, I promise," Zuko said seriously, tears springing unbidden to the corner of his eyes. He blinked furiously as he jerked his head away and, not daring to look back, he sprinted towards the distant flashes of blue flame.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

**Author's Note: ****You might have noticed if you've read this before that I've been going through and editing the early chapters, so welcome to the edited chapter 2. I wanted to take the time to try and better capture the turmoil Zuko and Katara are feeling, but also to illustrate the 'intoxicating' nature of their connection. I hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**EDITED **_

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

"What happened?" Aang asked as soon as they were out of earshot of the others. Katara struggle to tear her thoughts away from Zuko as they moved through the cave to an open area with a blessedly flowing fountain. She took a seat on the ledge and idly ran her hands across the surface of the water, drawing comfort from her element as her bottom lip quivered. She bounced her legs in discomfort as she refrained from making eye contact with Aang, somehow afraid he would see the longing in her eyes.

"Nothing happened," Katara lied, stumbling slightly over her words. Everything in her protested against calling this sudden connection to the firebender 'nothing', and Aang looked unconvinced. As Katara tried to focus her mind on anything but Zuko and convince Aang further, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as Aang's grey eyes widened in fear. Katara spun around, hands already coming up in a fighting stance, and was met immediately with her own version of a walking nightmare.

The firebending Princess stood in a relaxed stance that belied the calculating anger in her eyes. Somehow, despite her relaxation, she simply radiated power and assurance. Every piece of her carefully manicured appearance screamed power and royalty.

Katara felt exhausted just looking at her.

"How sweet," Azula said in a way that clearly conveyed she thought the scene was anything but. "The Avatar and his Waterbending savage."

Katara struggle to get her shivering under control as she tensed. Aang looked at her concernedly as her hands visibly trembled. The Fire Princess' golden eyes zeroed in on Katara as she cackled.

"My apologies, I thought that icy hovel where you and your peasant family are from was cold," Azula stated lightly as she stalked them, hands behind her back, clearly at ease. "I must have been ill-informed."

Hot anger welled up in Katara, hot enough to overcome the icy cavern in her chest that threatened to overwhelm her. Now that she thought about it, she was actually very angry...angrier than she had ever felt. She tensed as Azula's arm began to outstretch, tired of playing cat and mouse and ready to attack head on. Her pristine fingernails began to glow blue─

Without warning, a blast of fire rose up between them, forcing the princess back. Unlike every other time Katara had been confronted with her opposing element, the fire felt warm and welcoming, energizing her and focusing her mind. On autopilot, she gathered a large portion of water to knock Azula off balance, snaking the watery arm around the princess' ankle as she stood frozen in surprise.

Unfortunately, Azula was a more than worthy opponent, and she managed to break her watery manacles with a precise blade of blue fire. Assisted by another jet of her element, the princess catapulted up to a higher vantage point in the cave.

The smoke slowly cleared to reveal a scarred face. _Zuko,_ Katara breathed a sigh, her whole body relaxing in his presence. Without conscious thought, she moved towards the Prince, all the while aware of Azula's gaze watching them calculatingly.

She paused when Zuko shook his head minutely. _Don't give her a reason to focus on you, _Katara realized. She stopped where she was and tried to tear her eyes away from Zuko, looking at Aang's face pinched with worry instead. Luckily (or unluckily) all of Azula's attention seemed to be reserved for her brother.

"Well if it isn't dearest Zuzu?" she practically purred. Her brother's eyes glinted with some unknown emotion as he regarded his sister. For the first time, Katara realized everything that was at stake. Right here was the time for Zuko to make a choice. She had been sure before, with the way he was talking that he was ready to switch sides, but now, facing his sister, Katara realized exactly what she was wordlessly asking Zuko to give up. She, a stranger, was asking him to turn on his family, his life's effort, everything he had ever known, on a whim, on the _hope _that they'd win...On her. If Zuko didn't make the right choice here, all of their lives would be at stake. They'd probably be at stake even if he _did _decide to side with them.

Zuko's brow furrowed in rage as his lip curled up, his fist clenched at his side. Katara felt her own ire rising as she glared at the Fire Princess with hatred.

"Azula."

She relaxed carelessly out of her firebending form as she regarded the group mockingly.

"I have to say _brother__**, **_though I always deemed Uncle a traitor, I never would have imagined you would turn on our great nation so completely."

Zuko visibly grit his teeth, the vein near his jaw pulsing.

"I want the Fire Nation to be great just as much as you do," he bit out. The Princess rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure you think you do, but unfortunately, I have no time for the ravings of a _former _Prince. What will it be, dear brother?" The corner of her berry red lips raised in the ghost of a smile as she examined her nails for any imagined imperfection. "Come home and rule in your rightful place...or hang out with the Waterbending savage in jail."

His eyes still showed nothing, but Katara could practically feel the rage radiating off of the Prince. Zuko took a long look around the room, golden eyes focusing on each teen in turn until they landed on the Avatar. He moved his arm stiffly towards Aang and Katara gasped, already starting to draw up water. The Princess was watching on with glee, mouth open as if ready to gloat when─

Zuko's arm suddenly snapped in her direction decisively as red fire, tips tinged with blue shot towards his sister. She barely managed to deflect the blast, visibly shocked, and Katara took that as her cue to put her rage to good use, her battle hardened instincts reacting immediately to press their advantage in the form of a series of ice spikes aimed at the Princess' head. Aang finally seemed to snap out of his stupor and join in, but just as they seemed to be getting the upper hand, Dai Li agents streamed through the door to provide backup, separating the monk from his companions as they struggled against the talented princess together.

She and Zuko fought like a well-oiled machine. _Maybe it was all the fighting they had done against each other,_ she thought off-handedly. She didn't get much more time to think about it as a burst of blue fire interrupted her train of thought, and she was drawn back into the battle that seemed only to be getting worse.

She could tell Aang was struggling. The Dai Li had forced him on the retreat and, as she drew water around her to take up the octopus position again her eyes were drawn to his sad gaze from across the room.

"I'm sorry Katara," his lips said. Then there was a glowing green wall between them as Aang created a small shelter of crystals and hunched himself inside of it. In her distraction watching him, Katara was hit by a blast, and she groaned painfully as she felt her body impact the wall behind. She could fuzzily hear Zuko yelling her name, but she fought her mind and ignored him in favor of watching Aang as he rose above them, the light of his arrow tattoos illuminating the immediate area around him.

He was clearly going into the Avatar State, and somewhere in the recesses of her mind that surprised Katara. _Hadn't his chakra been blocked? _She struggled to sit up, she could see Azula moving out of the corner of her eye, Zuko becoming aware of her movement at the same time, he ran to catch up with her, but even in her confused state could Katara could tell he wouldn't be quick enough─

Azula struck, bolts of brilliant blue lighting arching around her. She gasped despite herself and could only watch as the bolt of lightning hit Aang square in the chest.

Zuko tackled Azula just then, but it was too late. The shock of seeing Aang fall slid down Katara's spine coldly. She reacted on reflex of a warrior, creating a giant tidal wave that took out the Dai Li and the fighting siblings in one fell swoop. From the corner of her eye she saw Zuko's Uncle rush out of the tunnels, separating the siblings and yelling at them to go. She looked down in her arms and realized Aang was cradled there, but he was warm, too warm.

He wasn't breathing.

The buzzing warmth was back and with it was some immediate relief for her current state. She could suddenly hear and see again, and her eyes focused on Zuko in front of her, his hand on her arm. His eyebrows were pinched together in worry.

_We need to go, _she heard. She nodded, finding some untapped pool of strength as Zuko took Aang gently from her to free her arms so she could draw water around them. She hesitated as she moved to propel them upwards, looking at Zuko questioningly.

_Your Uncle?_

He simply shook his head. On their trip up, she caught sight of him surrendering to Azula, many Dai Li agents having been taken out by him in distraction.

She willed the water to move faster, her mind going a million miles a minute in panic. Soon, Azula might turn her attention and lightning on them. They needed to move─to find Sokka, Toph, Appa and probably the Earth King (though hopefully not his pet bear), and then she and Zuko could─

She cut herself off as she realized Zuko had been automatically factored into her plans for the future. That was dangerous. A part of her wanted to rejoice. Zuko was at her side, his simmering warmth constantly floating on the edge of her awareness, keeping the cold at bay. She wanted nothing more than to sink into it, to trust Zuko with all that she could, but she needed to keep her wits. Despite the fact that her faith in him had proven to be well-placed and he had fought his own sister for her, they still had a lot of history, and it was nothing that could be solved in one night.

_Well, they would have plenty of time to work through it_, she thought to herself. She looked at Zuko next to her, his hand still on her arm. His face had gone back to that impenetrable brick wall, but somehow she could sense the sadness behind his eyes. She simply looked at him, attempting to communicate with her eyes as her hands were still occupied with Waterbending.

_I'm sorry about your Uncle. _

He looked at her, leaning into the warmth between them subconsciously. His lips twisted into a sarcastic smile.

_As soon as I decide to be good, my Uncle is taken from me and the Avatar in injured. Where do I belong that I won't mess things up?_

_It's not your fault, _Katara thought sadly. _It's none of our faults._

Katara caught his gaze again as she used the last of her strength, dipping into the warmth buzzing between her and Zuko and delivering them from the belly of Ba Sing Se.

She dropped to the ground exhausted as Sokka, Toph, and the Earth King approached them at a jog.

"Hey!" Sokka yelled, waving his hands, "We finally found you guys!" He grabbed Katara in a brotherly hug, then finally seemed to catch sight of Zuko holding Aang's limp body.

"Hey!" He pointed an accusing finger in Zuko's face. "What did you do to Aang and my sister?"

Once again, his face betrayed nothing, but Katara could easily sense the intense rage and shame simmering under Zuko's skin, clearly at the end of his rope after watching his Uncle be arrested and facing his sister. She decided to intervene before things got out of hand.

"No time Sokka!" She grabbed his hand and started dragging him back the way he came. "We need to get Appa and get out of here! Zuko's coming with us," she stated firmly.

The Prince glanced at her in surprise and she swallowed nervously. She and Zuko hadn't spoken about him coming with them, but Katara was sure he would prefer it over waiting in the Earth Kingdom for Azula to find him.

Toph began walking next to them, not even sparing a glance for Zuko as she examined Aang.

"He's injured," she deadpanned.

She nodded a little maniacally. "Yes, we just need to get to Appa and as far from here as possible and I can heal him." She tried to state this confidenty, despite not being at all confident in her abilities to do so.

The halls blurred into the night sky as they stole away from the palace under the blanket of darkness. With Aang's injury, no one had yet spared much thought for Zuko, so he and Katara were able to trail behind the rest of the group without question as Toph floated Aang on a makeshift earth stretcher. Katara was eternally grateful when Zuko once again rested his hand on the small of her back without prompting, keeping her exhaustion and worry somewhat at bay. 

_Thanks, _she directed to Zuko. He didn't respond, but he nodded stiffly as they continued on. Katara sensed that he was barely holding it together, and worried her bottom lip as she wondered how she might make him feel better.

_You're doing it right now, _Zuko's thoughts floated into her brain. She looked at him questioningly. He shrugged.

_Making me feel better, I mean. _

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

It was not until they soared high above the sky on Appa that Katara was able to focus again.

She seated herself next to Zuko in the corner of the saddle, purposefully brushing against him she did so. The shock of warmth in her stomach invigorating her as she leaned over the Avatar, yanking the chain of the Spirit Water from its place around her neck. Small, precise wrist movements coaxed every last drop from the vial in her desperation, forming the water into a glowing blue ring which she directed to the horrific burn on her friends chest. She willed it to heal him from the inside out, rearranging the broken chi paths inside him with the surgical precision of a healer. Then she prayed feverishly to the Sprits in the name of their only hope.

After several tense moments, Aang's grey-blue eyes fluttered open.

"Katara?" He asked weakly.

She threw her arms around his neck as tears streamed down her face, blowing back into the air from the wind. She could feel Zuko behind her with his hand strategically placed out of sight on her leg.

The Earth King seemed to have been roused by the Avatar's awakening. He glanced up to state the obvious news, his words settling into a pit in her stomach.

"Ba Sing Se has fallen."

Appa bayed mournfully as the Avatar slept on.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

**Author's Note: Below is the original Author's note. This is an edited chapter. **Okay, that was interesting. I thought my memory was fuzzy of this episode because I couldn't remember how they got to Appa after all that but, reading the transcripts, the show doesn't seem to show it? Let me know if I'm wrong, though I suppose it doesn't matter too much as I personally like my rendition :D. No Zutara next chapter. I'm digging deep into the fandom to write an accurate account of what happened in the month that Aang was sleeping before The Awakening. So I am going where my muses are taking me—Azula.


	4. Chapter 4

**EDITED: So if you've read this before you might be slightly confused but it's mostly grammatical changes for this one.**

Azula paced in front of the Earth Kingdom throne. A pity her thoughts kept her up and active, and would not allow her to sit on the throne as she deserved to.

Azula was a woman of manipulation.

_Zuzu did like to call me "puppet master," _she thought sardonically.

It was all in good fun for her, if she was being honest, and she didn't feel as though she should apologize. Why apologize for being a people person?

Azula supposed the term 'people person' would usually be used differently, to describe someone who genuinely liked people and enjoyed their presence. She used it to describe her uncanny ability to choose the words that could act as a noose around her targets throat. She could _see _people, often before they saw themselves. She could predict how the latest, volatile emotion would cause a person to misstep, and she used her knowledge to angle herself in the best way to take advantage of that moment.

After all, that was how she had easily replaced Zuko.

On some level, she lamented the way her relationship with her brother had turned out. He was one of the easiest people to read after all, a flaw that made him useful. With Zuko, it had always been obvious that he was...soft. He craved affection, love, and above all, _acceptance. _And because he was so naive, he could never quite figure out how to use that desire to fuel his future. He could have acceptance as Fire Lord, could he not? He would have the love of his people, was that not enough?

All he had to do to gain all that he desired was to be more focused on himself. But, this is where Zuko did not excel. He tried to focus on himself, but his stupid morals would constantly get in the way, leaving him looking and feeling fractured, floundering and confused.

_Lacking conviction_, she thought amusedly.

Azula was focused on herself. She knew what she needed to do to make her Father approve of her enough to pass on the throne (_love _was a fickle emotion she did not seek), she knew which Generals to bully when she wanted something, she had unflinching control over her two minions (_friends, _she thought, _they probably think so)_. Her plans _always _fell into place.

Except tonight.

Azula had taken the same path that was tried and true when it came to Zuko. _Dangle the carrot,_ love and acceptance, then follow with the stick.

_Her wrath if he failed her. _

Clearly in his betrayal he had failed her, after all. He _owed_ it to her to follow the script, to be predictable. To not stand in the way of her opportunity to give the Fire Nation a Crown Princess they could be proud of.

For some reason however, the usual tactics had not worked. She hadn't even seen him waver, not truly. That hand movement towards the Avatar has been an act that she had not seen through, she could tell from his eyes.

_Which meant Zuko could, to an extent, lie. _

This was news to her. Zuko has never been able to lie, even when they were kids. While Azula had been practicing her tone in the mirror, controlling her expressions and allowing the lies to _become _the truth, Zuzu had never been able to so much as fib about washing his hands before supper.

_Pathetic_, she snarled in her mind.

And yet, something had changed. Something or someone had allowed Zuko to lie, had granted him the acceptance he so desperately craved. Whatever had occurred, something had accepted him in a way that glued all the cracks in his mind together and made him a loyal soldier to the cause. The _wrong _cause.

A loyal, dedicated soldier was dangerous. She should know that, no one could be as dedicated to anything as she was to herself.

There was a light knock at the door. _Ty Lee, _she thought to herself. This was just another thing that those who did not plan did not notice. She smirked to herself, even though she had failed to capture her _traitor _brother, she was still superior. It was in her blood.

"Come in."

The door swung open and in walked Ty Lee, though she was accompanied by Mai. That made things slightly more difficult. Azula couldn't have failed to notice Mai's attraction to her brother if she were blind. (She supposed that might be a _tad _bit of a stretch). Though she didn't understand love as she had never been the recipient of it, she _did _know that those in love were less easy to control unless you possessed the object of their desires. The emotions made those poor fools disoriented, it clouded their judgement. It made them do things common sense and self-preservation demanded they never do.

Ty Lee bowed low before her as Mai mimicked her, though the stiffness of her back portrayed anything but servility.

Ty Lee began to speak after a moment of silence. "Your Uncle has been, umm," she glanced nervously up at Azula from under her lashes. Azula was careful to give away no emotion. _The best threat is the kind that's unknown. _

"He's been tied up and Ty blocked his bending," Mai interrupted in her signature flat tone.

Azula did not respond for a moment, allowing them time to drum up their own theories about how she felt and work themselves up a bit before she released them. Then she struck.

"Thank you ladies, I will be _sure _to tell the Fire Lord the role you both have played in what we accomplished for our Nation today."

They stilled. Azula had not hand picked Mai and Ty Lee from the Fire Nation Royal Academy for Girls because they were lacking in intelligence. They knew as well as she did that being in the Fire Lord's favor was a double edged sword. Pleased as Ozai may be, everyone slips up after a while. Then, those unfortunate enough to make mistakes are there, perfectly poised in his reach, ready to be punished.

It's a good thing _she _never makes mistakes.

"What about Zuko?"

It was Mai of course. Azula rolled her eyes inwardly. _For someone who is so careful about never showing emotion, she couldn't be more obvious. _

"What about him?" she asked deceptively lightly. "Wouldn't you say he's a traitor?"

A pause. Mai knows this is a trap either way her answer falls and, though she doesn't want to allow herself to be trapped so easily, she knows there are two ways to deal with Azula:

Submit to the clean kill or prolong a future torture.

She chooses the clean kill for today, her elaborate buns moving with her head as she simply inclined her chin in acquiescence.

Ty Lee looked uncertainly between them before plastering a large smile on her pretty face. Azula admired her commitment to her chosen identity.

"Well," she said after some time had passed and Mai had looked down again, "I'm pretty tired".

She made no move to fake a yawn and she was well aware she didn't look tired. This was another lesson she had slowly taught her _friends_.

_I don't need you to trust me, but you will anyway. _

The two girls looked at each other before bowing and seeing their way out of the throne room. Ty Lee looked over her shoulder once to throw a bright "Good night!" her way. Mai never looked back.

After the door had closed behind them she settled back into her pacing. She still had plans to make after all. They would be leaving for the Fire Nation in a week after she had properly arranged the government to run smoothly in her absence. The people might be resistant, but she knew they would bow to her will eventually.

Everyone did, after all.

She allowed her thoughts once more to drift towards her traitor brother. That situation would clearly require careful planning. She would not underestimate him again.

_Dedicated soldiers are the most lethal_, she reminded herself.

She looked around the throne room before extinguishing all the lamps at once with a thought.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

**Author's Note: Below is the original author's note as this chapter has been edited. Few changes have been made though.** In one of my favorite English classes of undergrad ever, our teacher let us choose between a 7 page final research or writing 10 pg+ alternate ending or continuation or scene from one of the novels we read. I chose _Gone Girl_, and I wrote a piece from the mind of Amy pregnant with the couple's first child. If I'm being honest, it scared me a bit how easy it was for me to write a literal psychopath. Even my professor was impressed my how on point my inner monologue was lmao. I feel the same way about Azula, it was way too easy for me to think like Azula would when writing the dialogue. Antyway, hope you enjoy. The next chapter will bless you with some Zutara ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**EDITED**

Being on the back of a flying air bison as they hurried through the night was a novel experience for Zuko. How often had he imagined himself this close to the Avatar and his pesky companions when he had been chasing them down over the past couple of months? He had never thought he would be this close...and yet,be on their side.

Of course, as often was the case with Zuko, he couldn't have everything good in his life all at once. He thought frustratedly of his Uncle. _Why do I always chose the losing side? _

This was something members of his family didn't do, after all. His grandfather Sozin would never have started a war without being sure he could win. That of course is why he used the comet that would eventually be named after him to exterminate the Airbenders. His grandfather knew the challenges he would face in his goals if the Avatar was alive to oppose him. He looked ahead to any potential minefields and made sure to dig them up before they were given the chance to explode.

Zuko had never possessed such an ability. Unlike Azula, he _couldn't _read people. He had no desire to weave his lies like rope around people until they tripped and became snared. He lacked the talent to get into his enemies heads and figure out their next step. He had only his determination and his constant failures to point him in the right direction, to help him figure out where he belonged.

That was the other reason he felt so strange on the back of this bison. Despite the fact that he had chosen the side that lost, despite the fact that the Avatar had been injured and his Uncle captured, despite all of this, Zuko felt more at peace than he had since his Mother had disappeared.

Not to confuse his peace with surety. No, Zuko was not at all sure of what he was doing. He did not know if the Avatar would manage to wake from his injuries and defeat his father in time to prevent him from dominating the world. Even _if _they managed to do all that, 100 years of war had left a scar on the world that he was not confident any leader would be able to heal.

Even though he was not sure of his decision, it was a decision Zuko felt proud of. It was a decision he had made without being moved like a pawn by the other members of his family. Turning against his Nation hurt him, but he consoled himself with the thought that he wanted to make his Nation, his _home_ better. He wanted to make it so that people outside of the Fire Nation would view his homeland with respect and pride and _not _with fear. He wanted to make it so that this world would be easier to live in for everyone else, not just himself.

Maybe that's what set Zuko apart from his family. The other members of the Fire Nation Royal Family had no care for anyone else, and only saw the people of the other Nations who resisted as obstacles that would need to be overcome to accomplish their goals. Those obstacles were not people to them, most Fire Nation citizens did not see people who were missing their fathers and brothers, sisters and mothers. People who were missing stability and peace, and _balance. _

The warmongers his family had turned his Nation into knew nothing of people like Katara. In Katara was someone he had always seen as the enemy, she was a woman he could tell had more than her fair share of hate for the Fire Nation stored up. Zuko had never thought to question why, and had simply convinced himself that the insolent Waterbender would fall in line eventually, that she would appreciate the New World Order after he had captured the Avatar and the Fire Nation had successfully shared their culture and knowledge with the rest of the world.

The knowledge that her mother had been killed in cold blood in front of her, that it could have been her instead, had further affected his opinion of his nation.

Though he supposed his honor had been stripped from him so he should not be making judgements by any rights, there was no honor to him in killing innocent women, or threatening to kill innocent children. Killing civilians without mercy would only send the message of brutality and create senseless fear. There was no teaching and sharing in that. There was no honor in that.

Outside of the cave, once again facing the harsh reality of war and braving the cool night winds, Zuko's thoughts were much clearer. He remembered how he had felt being bullied and looked down upon in his family growing up because Azula was always _better_. He remembered how badly he had felt when his Grandfather or father yelled or hit him for his failures and tried to beat into him how a successful man and future ruler should act or Firebend, and how different it had felt when his Mother or Uncle took him gently under their wing and explained the same lesson to him. How different was his past to his Nation's war on the world right now? 100 years of fighting and senseless loss of life and his Nation might be winning but what did they have to show for it? War torn tribes and villages with only women and children because all the men had gone off to war? An entire part of the world's history and culture practically erased?

His thoughts brought Zuko's attention to the Avatar. Katara was still leaned over him trying to heal the damage, but she would be done soon. She didn't have much more water in her skin and she had drawn out as much of the bad, twisted energy and damage that she could.

She didn't voice these accomplishments out loud, but Zuko knew. He could _sense _this knowledge emanating from the coolness between them, traveling over the skin of her leg down to where his hand touched her skin.

As he had predicted, Katara pulled her tanned hand from Aang's wound a few moments later, leaning back with a small sigh. Zuko could feel the tension thrumming through her body, and was thinking hard about how he could make her feel better before he even realized it. It was a somewhat alien concept for him, having grown up a spoiled prince, everyone around him tasked with ensuring his own well-being. Once he was out from under his father's thumb, he had often tried to do good things for other people, and had his attempts thrown back in his face. _Great, now I'm spending more time thinking about how to make her feel better than actually making her feel better!_

He shook his head and sighed quietly to himself. What did Uncle always say? _He would probably tell me I'm overthinking it, _Zuko frowned. He chanced a glance at the Waterbender out of the corner of his eye, took a deep breath, and slipped his own pale hand into hers. Katara first looked up in surprise, but then visibly relaxed and gripped his hand back (checking to make sure the other Water Tribe warrior ─_Sokka was it? _He thought so─ wasn't looking first of course). He lost himself for a moment in the calming rhythm of her breathing, before he realized what he was doing. _What's happening to me? _He was afforded no more time to think on the subject.

"We need to find somewhere safe where I can heal Aang more," Katara said grimly. "Traveling will be too hard on him right now."

Thankfully, no one remarked on the despair in the Waterbender's voice. Anyone who knew Katara─and Zuko through their weird connection─ could hear the worry in her voice, her doubt that she had done a good job, her guilt at not being good enough. Zuko shook his head.

_Do you have to be responsible for everything?_

Katara glared at him out of the corner of her eye. He smirked as she frowned in concentration, unaware of the others watching and waiting for her to continue speaking.

_Someone has to, _she replied, no heat in her voice. She sounded exhausted, worn out, and far older than her 15 years.

_They depend on her a lot, _he realized easily, looking over the rest of the group. _She's tired of being the positive one_.

Zuko looked at Katara as she frowned harder, seemingly noticing the expecting gazes directed right at her. As she opened her mouth to speak, he made a split second decision and squeezed her leg under the cover of a shadow.

_Maybe I can help? _He ignored her immediate refusal, hand clenching tightly on his, and looked at her brother. _Sokka_, he said to himself.

"Look, there is no one worse to have after you than my sister. The first thing we should do is find a place to lay low as far from her as possible," he stated neutrally, "The Avatar will be okay as long as he can rest and we can protect him better if we rest ourselves."

Sokka seemed reluctant to admit he had a fair point, and even more reluctant to admit he had an idea.

_At least I'm not the only one around here who wears my thoughts on my face_.

Before he could open his mouth to debate this idea, the blind girl, a Bei Fong if the 'Princely' side of his brain remembered correctly, interrupted him.

"Why don't we just go see you and Sugar Queen's dad, Snoozles?" She asked matter-of-factly.

He rolled his eyes at the ridiculous nicknames, but managed a half-smile at Sokka's freak out at the bli-_Toph's _blatant lack of care for spilling vital information in front of the 'enemy'.

"Iㅡyou─Tophhhh!" He whined. She didn't give him a chance to keep going.

"Look Snoozles, it's clear that Hotstuff here is on our side. He protected Aang and Katara against his own sister for us! Do you think Aang will magically not need a Firebending teacher when he wakes up?!"

Zuko was just allowing himself to become slightly hurt over the fact that the group only wanted him there for his ability to Firebend, even though he was being ridiculous as they hadn't known him at all outside of the fact that he was chasing them own for the better part of the last couple of months, but Toph once again interrupted Sokka as he began to look indignant, thankfully bringing a halt to his little pity party.

"Besides, when I met his Uncle, I heard all about him. He had nothing but good things to say, Sparky here was all he talked about! And his Uncle sacrificed himself to save Katara and Aang, didn't he?"

This question was directed at him. Zuko didn't know how she knew, but he didn't dwell on it. He simply nodded, trying not to betray his true feelings on the matter. He might be a member of the 'Gaang' now, but that didn't mean he had to get involved in group therapy sessions! Next to him, Katara brushed her fingers against the hand on her leg.

_Relax, they have every reason not to trust you. Now let me help you_.

"Zuko's Uncle _did_ save us, but Zuko had made up his mind before that," she announced. Zuko tried not to wince at Sokka's incredulous expression as he looked at Katara in wonder. How had she known that?

"It's true," Zuko volunteered, not letting Katara suffer all of Sokka's suspicion alone. "I know I've done a lot to you all," he glanced at Katara, "and I truly apologize for it. I want to right my wrongs, I want to help," I pleaded. Katara nodded furiously next to him.

"I _trust_ him Sokka," she vowed seriously. Watching her vouch for him without hesitation when the only good things he had ever done for her had been in the past few hours cemented something deep inside of him. This easy acceptance that Katara afforded him, regardless of his past wrongdoings against her felt better than anything he had ever felt before. Silently, he vowed to try and be worthy of her acceptance, to make the right decisions to be worthy of her trust. Sokka of course, wasn't easily so trusting.

"Alright," he announced, "The Angry guy can stay if he can tell me right now, _in his own words_, exactly why he wants to be here."

Zuko opened his mouth to begin speaking─

"A-And Toph has to say if he's telling the truth!" Sokka yelled frantically.

They all turned at once to glare at him, then looked to Zuko.

Zuko hesitated, fearing being interrupted again and suddenly feeling nervous now that he had been given time to gather his thoughts. Never before had he had a reason to tell the full truth of this story to anyone, especially a bunch of people opposing the very culture that had led to his experience. Katara brushed her fingers against his own again softly.

_I believe in you. I trust you. Tell them the truth and they will too. _

Zuko nodded to himself inwardly and looked Sokka in the eye. 

"When I was 13 years old," he began, "I begged my Uncle to bring me with him to a war meeting."

Sokka opened his mouth, presumably to yell something about how Zuko was proving his point that he was an incorrigible Fire Nation war monger, when Toph unceremoniously punched him in the gut, taking the wind out of him.

Nobody acknowledged Sokka's largely exaggerated hacking coughs as Zuko shot Toph a grateful glance, then continued his story.

"My Uncle finally relented and brought me with him one day. He made me promise to stay silent, to not speak out no matter what was said." He drew in a deep breath and licked his dry lips. "One of the last plans put forth were those of a general who wanted to use a whole battalion of fresh recruits as a distraction, cannon fodder basically, to allow a smaller, more skilled battalion to sneak up behind the enemy and finish them."

They were all silent. Katara, having a front row seat to the turbulence of Zuko's thoughts, was listening most rapturously, with a very bad feeling that there was no happy ending to this story.

Zuko took another deep breath as he adopted an almost pleading tone, begging them to understand the mistake that had cost him his home.

"I couldn't stay silent. All those soldiers, they had families, and jobs and homes to return to! They were our people, we were meant to keep them safe!"

"My father was furious, I could tell. He told me I would fight an Agni Kai for my disrespect, a fire duel to the death. I agreed, I thought I could take the General, as he was old._ I_ was a prince." He smiled cynically.

"When I got to the stadium, I didn't see Father in the stands anywhere. I went to the center to face my opponent standing with his back to me, ready to fight this man for my life."

The dread on the Gaang's faces were more than apparent. They could not believe the story would go the way logic was taking it. Could a father really have burned his own son so badly in combat?

"Because I spoke out in my Father's war meeting, in my Father's throne room, it was my _Father_ I had disrespected, and my Father I was going to fight. But I couldn't do it. The moment I saw him I fell to my knees, begging his forgiveness." He shook his head, as if trying to will the memories away. "I couldn't fight him. He was my Father!"

The Gaang was silent.

"He said that refusing to fight was dishonorable. He told me to stop cowering, stop crying. And then," Zuko paused, then breathed deeply again, "and then he burned my face."

_You will learn respect, and pain will be your teacher. _

"When I woke up, my Uncle was beside me. Father had left a note saying I was banished. I was to be given a ship and small crew, I was to find and capture the Avatar, or I would never regain my honor. I could never come home."

For a long while, no one said anything. Then Zuko continued to speak, thoughts that he had never breathed life into and spoken out loud pouring out of him.

"I used to think my banishment was the worst thing to ever happen to me. But now, I think it kind of opened my eyes." Everyone looked shocked, and he rushed to explain.

"In the Fire Nation, we are taught that this war is our way of spreading our culture, knowledge and intelligence to the other nations. We are taught that they are useless without us, that they need us and accept us."

The group sat silent at the thought that some of the soldiers they were fighting had been brainwashed to think they were actually helping them.

"Before my banishment, I had never left the Fire Nation. I had no reason to believe this was not true. I was not prepared to be faced with hatred and fear everywhere I went, and I can admit I often made my circumstances worse because I was so angry about it."

Then, for the first time out loud, the Fire Nation Prince acknowledged exactly what he knew he had to do. 

"I've been through a lot in the last few years, and it's been hard. But I'm realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought I had lost my honor, and that somehow my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor. It's something you earn for yourself, by choosing to do what's right." He looked seriously over the rest of the Gaang. "All I want to do now, is play my part in ending this war, and I_ know_ my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world."

The Gaang looked startled by his outburst, but Zuko only had eyes for Katara. Her blue eyes were shining.

_Maybe this was the apology and explanation she needed to let go of her hatred of the Fire Nation for good. _

He did not want to admit why that thought gave him such hope for the future, a future that had Katara in it. He focused back on the group instead.

"I need to join your group to accomplish all of those things. Will you let me?"

Sokka stared at him for a moment, then he extended his arm to grip the top of Zuko's in typical Water Tribe fashion.

"We're going to Chameleon Bay. We might have to capture a Fire Nation ship. Ya think you can help with that?"

Zuko grinned.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

**Author's Note:This has been edited. Original Author's note below. **

This chapter...it got out of control. It is a monster. The Zuko in my head kept talking so I kept writing. I can't believe this is this long. Why aren't term papers this easy to write?

On Zuko's decision: though he was a lot more fragmented in the show, I think this was because Zuko was missing an outside influence not associated with the Fire Nation that he felt he could truly vent to. Even though Uncle was _Uncle, _he was still the Dragon of the West, and I think even though Zuko must of at least had a hint of where his Uncle's loyalty truly lay, it might still be a difficult thing to say out loud that you are feeling disillusioned with your home country. To be clear thought, the deciding factor here is really the bond between Zuko and Katara. It really is a powerful thing to tell someone that you trust and believe in them, especially without cause, and with the bond to be sure Katara is telling the truth and to amplify those positive feelings, this bond would certainly be something love and affection starved Zuko would chase.

I was originally afraid of starting this story concept with the Caves because I was afraid of this gap. There's very little info in the show about what was happening in this time, and nothing about the way the group blended with the warriors in the day to day. I hope I am able to do justice to them and kind of get this story moving a little faster. I did not know the characters would have so much fucking stuff to say!


	6. Chapter 6

Zuko followed Sokka down the lowly lit hallways of the captured Fire Nation ship to his room. They stopped in front of an ornate door, torches lighting either side of the archway.

"Royalty for royalty, you know what I mean?" Sokka snickered while Zuko opened the door to his room. It was definitely what he was used to: luxurious red sheets, red silk wall hangings, a beautiful meditation rug...it was perfect by all rights.

Except for the fact that Katara wasn't here. Usually, the promise of nice quarters would have been more than enough for the Fire Prince, who preferred his own company over anyone else's, but now he wanted nothing more than to join the rest of the raucous crew near the upper decks and be like everyone else.

"So, here you go, home sweet home, I guess, you know, for now. Unpack? Lunch, soon? Uhhh ... welcome aboard?" Sokka said, suddenly feeling the awkward atmosphere. Zuko gave his best approximation of a welcoming smile.

"Thanks...Sokka," He thanked the other boy, his unfamiliar name struggling to roll off his tongue. He scratched the back of his head. "So...what do you guys do for fun around here?"

Sokka's eyes lit up and Zuko tried not to wince as he slammed a friendly hand on the Prince's shoulder.

"I've gotta introduce you to my friend Maku. He's SO fun!"

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

Zuko sighed in his room as he meditated. Sokka had shown him to his room about a week ago, and lately it had been feeling like all he did was mediate trying in vain to keep the feelings of intense heat, emptiness and loneliness at bay when he was not touching Katara. At first, the fiery itch had been easy to ignore. It was uncomfortable to be away from the Waterbender, but not unbearable, and Zuko had been more than distracted by Sokka's attempts to ingratiate Zuko with the other Water Tribe Warriors that struggled to trust him. But then Katara had gotten quite busy, cutting their time together shorter and shorter to take care of the needs of the rest of the ship. And now?

No amount of meditating could help him stop feeling the intense need to possess her whenever she was around him.

This feeling had been getting worse and worse lately. He and Katara had managed a sparse few moments for themselves on this _stupid_ first couple of days he had been here, between the distrust he was met with from the Water Tribe warriors and the memories being on a ship stirred up of his banishment, isolated from everyone on the ship, he had been miserable. The only thing that kept him from strangling Sokka as he made copious amounts of bad jokes trying to break the tension, was Katara.

She was just, just so unflinchingly _kind_. Those first few days, he watched as she seamlessly made herself invaluable to everyone. She somehow managed to cook and clean, have healing sessions with Aang and heal small injuries incurred from sparring, _and_ still take extra care to make sure Zuko and Toph felt welcome among the Water Tribe people.

The few short conversations they had managed revealed to Zuko how smart she was. She was extraordinarily observant of their connection, and drew conclusions and answered questions before he even knew the right questions to ask. Teamwork was something Zuko was never forced to participate in, having grown up in the palace with no friends other than his mother and his younger sister's friends that didn't even belong to him. Katara never let him use that as an excuse, reminding him that her opinion was just as important as his, never letting him treat her as anything but his equal. She was this passionate in most things she did, he noticed.

Growing up, he had had few things he could call his own that had not simply been afforded to him by the privilege of being born the Prince of the Fire Nation. Zuko was far from lazy, but there were just very few things he had had to work for in his life. With Katara, he constantly worked to keep his private promise of being worthy of her attention, even if she wasn't aware of it. And she had endeared herself to him so effortlessly since he had joined their group that Zuko thought she was something he would not mind working for, as long as he could have her in the end. He had worked these last few days to ingratiate himself into the group as much as possible and help Katara with her chores. It had been harder and harder lately, as it was extremely distracting to him to be in the same room with her and not be able to touch her.

_No more_, he swore to himself. Though Zuko did not yet know what he felt for Katara besides intrigue and admiration (quite a bit of lust, if he was being honest), he knew that he wanted to be close to her, and he knew they had a bond between them that he had never heard of and seemingly no one else had. He wanted to figure out their connection, he wanted to make sure neither of them ever had to feel the crushing emptiness they felt when they weren't touching, and they wouldn't be able to do that sneaking around.

Zuko sighed to himself. This all sounded all well and good while he was sitting alone by himself in his room, but everytime he was actually confronted by Katara, he found himself tongue-tied. It was all he could do to haplessly stutter out a few words before she shooed him along to start the next chore on the never-ending list.

The Firebender pushed himself to his feet._ Maybe some fresh air will be good, _he thought. His blood constantly felt like it was boiling whenever he was away from Katara, so the cool sea breeze had become his best friend, something he didn't get much of down in the royal quarters in the belly of the ship. _Stupid warriors assigning me here for a joke, _he grumbled to himself as he strolled along the familiar hallways. He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't even notice the subject of said thoughts walk right into him.

"Zuko!" Katara exclaimed, heat rising to her cheeks. "Sorry, I must not have been paying attention."

The intense relief at having her in his arms made Zuko take a moment to gather his composure before looking her in the eye. "Well, I wasn't looking either I guess," he paused as he took in his surroundings, "and this is nowhere near the deck of the ship, so I'm not even sure how I wandered here." They were in a part of the ship near the boiler rooms, not too far from the royal wing Zuko had been traveling from.

Katara seemed surprised as she looked around as well. "That's strange...I was going to the kitchens."

"Are you...are you okay?" The Prince asked awkwardly. The heat in his chest had become a fiery inferno at the sight of the Waterbender standing in front of him, but concern easily won out at her appearance. She was visibly shivering, her tan face unusually drawn and pale, her arms wrapped around herself in a comforting gesture.

"Yeah, I'm…" she seemed to stop herself and reconsider. "Are you…" her words trailed off as a blush once again rose on her cheeks. Zuko realized the problem and looked both ways before pulling open a random door to his right. Before he could overthink it, he wrapped an arm around her waist to guide her inside.

It was dim inside what seemed to be a simple utility closet, so Zuko sparked a flame with his free hand, making sure to keep it well away from Katara. However, to his surprise, she leaned forward, nearly pitching them both over from her place in his arms in her attempt to get closer to the flame.

Katara blushed as she realized what had happened and straightened herself up, instead simply reaching for Zuko's arm and holding the flame up to her face. The Firebender watched in awe as she tilted her face this way and that, clearly enjoying the warmth on her cheeks.

They stood in silence for some time until Katara broke it.

"I'm sorry, I know it's strange, I just can't seem to help it...Lately it's beenㄧ"

"Getting worse, I know," Zuko interrupted her, knowing exactly where she was going. "I've been burning up!" He attempted to pull his arm from around Katara's waist to run a hand through his hair, but found she had an iron grip keeping him in place. Zuko sighed, but relented.

"I've been, so _cold," _Katara admitted. "Even wearing a parka, it's been hard to get any sleep."

Zuko frowned. He also struggled to sleep, tossing and turning, trying to find a new cool spot on the bed, but he hadn't realized the fatigue had been affecting Katara this badly as well.

"You should try it," Katara said suddenly. Zuko looked down at her questioningly.

"Try what?"

Even in the dim light, Zuko could see the blush rising on her cheeks as she jerked her head at the flame in his hand.

"I…" _Touching you, while you bend...it feels, _Katara looked down bashfully, _even better than when we hold hands._

Zuko thoughtfully examined her face. _She doesn't look sick anymore, _he realized.

"I can hear that, you know," Katara grumbled. Zuko snorted. She glared at him, then continued.

"What if...what if that's how we both ended up down here?" She suggested. "We needed this, so we were, I don't know一"

"Drawn to each other?" Zuko interrupted sarcastically. He immediately regretted it upon seeing the hurt look on Katara's face.

"Right, it was stupid," she said, looking down again. The Prince cursed himself for a second, then tightened his arm around her waist.

"I think...I think you might be right," he admitted. _I'm sorry, I'm not used to...depending on someone like this. _

_Me neither. _

_Well, are you gonna bend or what?_

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

Anyone who had seen the couple stumbling out of the closet a short while later would have asked if they had somehow managed to smuggle cactus juice on board, because they looked absolutely insane.

Zuko was the happiest he had felt in a long time and was positively buzzing with energy. After he and Katara parted, he continued his stroll up to the docks with a face splitting grin, cheerfully greeting everyone he passed.

"Hey Toph!" He waved to the younger girl. She grinned immediately.

"Sparky, I didn't know you could smile!" She exclaimed sarcastically. He glared at her without any true heat.

"Whatever," he grumbled, turning to continue walking. Toph effortlessly fell in step beside him.

"Man, Sugar Queen really has you wrapped around her finger," the Earthbender snickered. Zuko stopped in his tracks, fighting the blush rising to his cheeks.

"How do you know about that?" He asked neutrally. Toph shrugged.

"You forget I can hear your heartbeat," she said teasingly. "What _exactly _were you two getting up to in that cave again?" He groaned.

"You can't tell anyone about this! Not that I even know what 'this' is," he grumbled.

"That's between you and Sugar Queen, your highness. But, I've never noticed really noticed Katara act like this before," Toph said genuinely.

"What do you mean?" Toph frowned in thought.

"Well, there's the fact that whenever you're around her heart sounds like a bunch of galloping bull-antelopes," Zuko glared and Toph grinned, "but she just seems...I don't know, happier around you?"

"Huh," Zuko replied.

"And you too! I mean, I didn't know you very well before, but from how everyone described you, you were kind of...well…"

"Angry?" Zuko asked.

"Yes!" She exclaimed, "But now you're strolling down the hall smiling so hard my feet can see it!"

"Yeah, I guess," Zuko said, unconvinced. "This whole thing is just so sudden, you know? And we don't even know what it means!" He threw his hands up, suddenly frustrated. Toph simply shrugged.

"I'm not really sure what you're talking about Sparky but, for what it's worth, whatever you're doing now seems to be working. And I'm happy for you." The Earthbender was uncharacteristically serious, and Zuko smiled in thanks.

"I'm not even sure if there's anything to be happy for," he admitted. Toph laughed.

"Well, I would advise you to talk to Sugar Queen about that. Spirits know she hates it when other people try and make decisions for her." Zuko stared at the blind Earthbender for a moment, surprised by her once again on the nose advice.

"Thanks Toph," he said seriously.

"Don't worry about it Sparky, now you owe me one," she smiled dangerously. "And I always collect."

Zuko swallowed hard while Toph grinned.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

**Author's Note: ****This is that Zuko chapter I talked about that wasn't originally ready. It's about to be a pain to insert this in where it goes now, but let me know what you think! **


	7. Chapter 7

**This has been edited and I feel it's quite different, so if you've read it before you might want to read it again. **

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

Katara hadn't seen her Dad in 3 years. Perhaps that's why it didn't occur to her that it might be _slightly_ difficult to find private time to figure out her connection with Zuko while living on a ship with the Chief and his warriors.

After they had seen the Earth King off on his world tour, been reunited with her Dad, explained Zuko's presence, and successfully captured a Fire Nation ship, happenings on the boat had slowed to a crawl. After several months of traveling on the back of Appa on the run from the Fire Nation, she had grown used to a 'fly by the seat of your pants' lifestyle. Being on this ship felt like back at the South Pole, with more people to care for than those who would help, and all the upkeep duties had fallen to her because she was a woman. The most exciting thing that had happened in the past week was finding Duke and Pipsqueak at a small harbor as they sailed west away from Ba Sing Se. And that had been two days ago!

She sighed, looking at the dirty water the clothes she had been scrubbing harshly as she thought had produced. She wrung the clothes out and took them out of the basin, using her waterbending to quicken the process. Finished, Katara looked at her hand and sighed.

A week ago, she had been using her Master Waterbending skills to take out whole legions of Dai Li warriors in one of the most decisive battles of the war. Now she was using it to do laundry.

Had this really been what it had come to?

Katara could have rolled her eyes at herself. She was being unreasonable. Aang was still unconscious, so it's not exactly like they could go anywhere anyways. They all needed the stability the ship afforded them, as it gave them the time they needed to allow Aang to fully recover.

_Besides, there's one other exciting thing on this ship, we just have to figure out how to meet in secret again, _Katara's brain butted in unwelcomely. A small smile and blush rose to her cheeks as she thought about bumping into Zuko on the lower decks of the ship a few days ago.

"Possessiveness?" Katara asked, trying to sound disapproving. They were leaned lazily against one of the warm pipes in the utility closet they had taken refuge in, Katara nestled in the Prince's warm arms.

"Well, maybe that's not the right word…" Zuko back-tracked. Katara surprised herself by smiling coyly.

_You sounded pretty sure. _

He winced. _When you're not around me, that's when I want...to possess you. I get angry, that you're not with me. And when you're with me, I feel...calm, cooler. Soothed? _He extricated one of his arms from Katara's grip to rub the back of his head sheepishly. _What does it feel like for you? _

Katara frowned. She felt like Zuko's feelings should bother her, but they just didn't. A part of her that felt like it had been awakened with their connection purred contentedly at hearing the Prince say he missed her. She hated admitting to her weaknesses, and though she felt at her most powerful with Zuko, she had never felt weaker than when away from him.

_I feel cold and...anxious. LIke I'll never be happy again. _She shivered with remembered cold. _But, when I see you, everywhere...we touch, _she blushed, _I feel warm and _safe. She frowned in thought. _It's kind of like we're―_

"Opposites," Zuko completed her thought out loud. They had looked at each other in disbelief, and Katara shivered as she met the Firebender's intense gaze.

"W-well, opposites attract, I guess," Katara stuttered, embarrassed. Zuko shook his head.

"Yeah, but not like this!" He exclaimed, frustrated. _I don't want you to have to be around me just because some...freaky bond is forcing us to!_

Katara's gut reaction was to yell back, to tell him if he didn't want to be around her, then fine! But, from her spot in Zuko's arms through their tingling connection, she could feel his insecurities. She struggled through the heaping of shame basically being broadcasted from his brain and did something simple: she hugged him.

He stiffened at first, then quickly melted into the embrace. Even through their layers of clothes, the bond tingled furiously as Zuko's chi practically enveloped hers, sliding over her like warm bath water heated just right. From her place nestled in his chest, Katara mumbled softly, "I don't feel forced at all."

Since that day, the challenge of finding some alone time with Zuko had been fully occupying her mind. Katara had basically skipped away from the utility closet floating on a cloud, going about her chores for the rest of the day even sunnier than usual, but by the next morning she felt even worse than she had before, shivering violently with cold even in the warm, Earth Kingdom waters. Though they found moments to touch at meal times and when Zuko tried to help her with chores, holding hands and the occasional touch couldn't compare to the catharsis she had felt when Zuko simply sparked a flame in front of her, or the warmth and security she felt in his arms. Katara had taken to wearing one of the smaller extra Water Tribe parkas on hand everywhere on the ship to keep the cold at bay, telling anyone who asked that she had just missed wearing one. She noticed that Zuko was always meditating when he was not sparring with the warriors, who had been wary of him at first, but started warming up when they found out how good he was with dual broadswords through Katara's glowing recommendation. She wondered if the meditating helped him from feeling like he was overheating. He did seem slightly more comfortable than herself when they weren't touching.

Of course, while the bond had no physical effects—her cold never actually resulting in frostbite, despite how much it felt like it would—mentally, it was _torture_. She and Zuko had tested how long they could be apart yesterday, making sure to bend, cuddle and hug in preparation as they had done in the closet before. They had lasted a few hours before the longing and anguish became too much to bear, and Katara interrupted Zuko's on deck meditation under the guise of wanting to learn how he did it so she could sit next to him and hold his hand.

She could understand the gratefulness in his eyes even though he didn't voice it.

Out of everything they were experiencing, the ability to communicate in their minds scared Katara the most. Zuko was far more educated than herself, and even he had never heard of anything like this before! Though they had had limited time to test this, it seemed like it was only possible when touching. They didn't get actual words and instead got...impressions? There had been no word for things like this in the Water Tribe, but that had been the best thing they could come up with. The impressions were just so specific that it was almost like hearing the other person speak out loud.

Katara sighed again as she started to fold the clothes she had just bent the water out of. Thinking about the bond between her and Zuko had her trying to think of a plan to see him again. Somewhere _that wasn't _a utility closet. Selfishly, she wanted to figure everything out with Zuko before Aang woke up, before he began to monopolize Zuko's attention as his Firebending teacher, they left this ship, and she was caring for everyone while fighting for her life again.

Against her better judgement, the more she got to know Zuko, the more he made her feel safer than anyone else, even Sokka and her Dad. She wanted to keep this feeling all to herself for as long as she could, until a future where they could be together _actually _seemed possible.

Katara tried not to let her thoughts get away from her as she imagined what kind of future that would be.

She needed to _get a grip_. The reality is, she barely knew Zuko, and over half of the time they've spent together has consisted of them fighting each other! She didn't know how she feels about him, she didn't know why they have this strange connection, and she didn't even know what will happen tomorrow.

All of a sudden, it was all just too much. Katara fell her to her knees next to the pile of clothing waiting to be folded, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes.

She knew nothing! She was adrift in a sea of choices and chi without so much as a life vest. The emptiness was clawing its way up her throat, it threatened to choke herㅡshe looked down at her hands trembling with cold and despair, tears coming even faster at the moonlight illuminating her fingers through the porthole.

Katara had never missed home and her Gran-Gran's confusing advice more. _What would she say if she were here? _She thought in desperation.

She knew the answer, and with a deep breath, gathered what little composure she had left and looked out the ship window to the crescent moon hanging in the sky. She closed her eyes hard, blinked, then blinked again.

Did the moon have a face?

She quickly got up and ran to the window, opening the hatch so she feel the cool night air on her face. The Waterbender gazed out at the moon, staring hard, and the words drifted to her on a breeze, barely a whisper that she had to strain to hear.

_The divisions between us are thinnest when we are sleeping and unable to create them. _

Katara stared harder, holding her breath in order to listen better for some time. Unlike when she was a little girl back in the South Pole, she knew more about the moon her ancestors had praised for centuries than they ever had. She had personally known the moon spirit, after all.

"...Yue?" Katara questioned out loud. She felt silly waiting in silence for a planet in the sky to speak to her, and Yue said nothing more. Katara sat down, thinking hard about what she had heard. She had been trying to find a way to spend time with Zuko where she could learn about him and their bond and no one would interrupt them….

Her eyes suddenly widened, then she blushed all at once.

Was the Moon Spirit actually telling her to go _sleep _with Zuko?

She looked at the Moon once more, hoping to get some more advice, but Yue (if it was Yue talking) had apparently decided to stay silent. Katara buried her face in her hands in frustration.

_I can't sleep with Zuko….can I?_

Though Katara didn't want to admit it, she had no idea what Zuko might expect of her.A smallー_very small_ーpart of her was excited at the thought of what Zuko might want, but she quickly shoved those thoughts out of her brain. The men of her tribe had left when the Waterbender was only 12, and she was 15 now. She had no experience with boys her age other than her brother and Jet, and she had only kissed him. Of course, she had helped her Gran-Gran deliver babies all her life back home, so she knew where babies came from and that there was absolutely no sleeping involved, but she didn't know much beyond that. Zuko was older, more experienced, and a _prince. _Surely he would know more and be willing to teach her...

Katara blushed, she hadn't meant to let her thoughts get away from her. Besides, that wasn't why she wanted to sleep next to Zuko. She wanted to know more about him, she wanted to know him if she was going to share this...this bond with him.

She thought again about what Yue said, _the divisions between us...could I possibly feel even closer to Zuko than I do now? _These past few weeks on the boat had made one thing about the connection they shared clear: the more they touched, the better. _So maybe if we slept next to each other, touching the whole time…_

That thought firmed her decision. If there was any chance to understand the bond better and make it so that she didn't have to feel that cold emptiness again, she would take it.

Before she could lose her nerve, Katara quickly folded the few remaining garments, picked up her stack and left the laundry room. She dropped off certain piles to different men as she went, saving Zuko's belongings for last as she wandered down to the Royal wing.

Once the Waterbender reached the correct hallway, she started walking slower, realizing she couldn't remember which of two doors was his. She supposed no one else was sleeping in this wing, so it wouldn't hurt to just check both. As Katara reached for one door, she suddenly felt a pull towards the other one.

The door knob sounded like it was..._buzzing?_

Katara wondered if this was another extension of the bond they shared, _can I actually _sense _him?!_ The thought made her feel fuzzy and even more nervous than she had before. She stood before the door indecisively for several moments, lost in thought, when it was suddenly wrenched open from the other side.

"I一Zu-ko, hi, fancy seeing you here," she smiled brightly, putting one foot behind her, "I didn't mean to bother you so I'll justーI'll just be going if that's okー," she was suddenly cut off by the Firebender's warm hand covering her mouth, the tingling warmth of their connection spreading across her cheeks.

"Aren't those mine?" He asked, pointing down at the pile of clothes she hadn't realized she had dropped when he opened the door.

Katara tried to answer, but his hand was still over her mouth and the buzzing was making it hard to think. She blushed deeply, then settled for a nod.

He looked at her for a moment then, seemingly satisfied, he removed his hand from her face and picked up his pile of clothing.

"Well, are you coming in then?" He asked with a smirk. Katara blushed, then shivered violently at the sudden chill that traveled down her spine at the loss of his touch. She remembered what Yue had said and tilted her chin up, firmed her shoulders, then followed the Prince inside making sure to close the door behind her.

She stood awkwardly in the center of the room for several seconds as Zuko watched her from the dresser where he was putting away his freshly laundered clothes. After he finished his task, he walked over to her and offered his hand.

"Do you want to sit?" He asked out loud. _You seem like you have something to say_, were his unvoiced thoughts.

She tried not to blush as he took her hand in his own and led her over to the bed. Despite her natural feeling of comfort in his presence, she was tense. Even with all her wondering about the act of sex, she didn't feel she was ready to participate in it yet. They were not boyfriend and girlfriend and had had no discussions of the sort (despite how much...cuddling they had done), but she did not know his culture or his people. Maybe girls in his culture only showed up outside someone's door at night if they were planning to…

"I'm not planning anything like that, you know," he said amusedly beside her.

_Oh right, _Katara thought, _he can feel my thoughts_. In her downward spiral she had completely forgotten she was holding his hand.

_Just calm down, _his soothing thoughts enveloped her body all at once. Katara had never had a warm bath in the South Pole, but she imagined this is what one might feel like.

"We can talk about you and me later," Zuko said out loud, "You, uh一you said you came here to talk to me about something."

_It seemed important. _

Katara felt awkward talking about the Moon, who was effectively Yue, in front of Zuko, who had witnessed the whole scene of her death and sacrifice during the battle at the North Pole. However, his worry for her clearly overcome that awkwardness as she told him what Yue had told her, and what she thought it meant.

For all his bravado earlier, now he was blushing now. 

"Think about it Zuko," she found herself saying, "if I sleep with you, we would feel like we do when we touch all night long! It might even last all day! And we could, maybe, I don't know, talk? A little?" Her voice was near a whisper at the end as she suddenly felt unsure of herself. He looked surprised and more than a little pleased.

"You want to talk to me?" Zuko asked seriously.

"Of course!" She exclaimed, "I want to get to know more about you. I…" She took a small pause, faking a cough to hide her nervousness.

"You said before we would talk about you and me," Katara tried instead, squeezing his hand lightly. He looked at her teasingly.

"So there _is _a you and me?" He asked with a smirk. She hit him lightly on the leg. He sobered up quickly.

"We have this connection, but we don't have to be together. Do you...do you want to be with me?" The Prince asked hesitantly. She felt a little put out. Of course they didn't have to be together, but why would they want to be with anyone else? For the first time in this whole crazy scenario, she started to feel doubt. _Did he not feel what she felt?_ Before Katara could get too worked up, he spoke again.

"Stop thinking like that! Listen!" Zuko yelled in frustration. He got up, letting go of her hand, took a deep breath, and turned to her. He slowly got on his knees as her eyes widened. She opened her mouth, but he held up a hand to stop her.

"Listen," he began slowly, "You're...kind of amazing. I'm not sure if you don't see that or why, but you are. You didn't know me, you had every reason and more to hate me, and despite _all _of that you still offered to heal me in Ba Sing Se, when I _least_ deserved it." He breathed out slowly, then continued, "I don't think I can ever repay you for what you've done for me. You forgave me...before I even apologized." He paused again as Katara shook her head. He wouldn't let her speak though.

"And I know一I know we don't know each other well, or haven't known each other for that long, and I know our future is very uncertain and we're from opposite sides of the world," the words were coming out in a rush, "and I know that we haven't talked about this before and this may come as a surprise to you that I think you're incredibly beautiful, and that's not the only reason I like you but no one has ever been this nice to me and I really want to help you and make you happy and I've never felt like this before?" The last part came out like a question, thoughts he had never voiced aloud.

For a few moments Katara was silent. The she blushed.

_If we're together...doesn't that mean you should kiss me?_

He looked at her in surprise.

_Do you want me to kiss you?_

He tried not to make his 'impression' too hopeful, but it didn't matter. He couldn't hide his thoughts from her.

Instead of answering him, she simply maneuvered her face down towards his to meet him where he sat on his knees. He got up surprisingly quickly and met her halfway.

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**Author's Note:**To be honest, this should have been chapter 7. However, the little Zuko bite sized chapter that I would have put before this is not quite finished and I really wanted to put this up. The Zuko chapter shall have to come later.

I very much want the relationship between Zuko and Katara to be realistic and reasonable. Don't expect them to have blistering hot sex right away (though there will be sex ;) On the other hand, the bond they share would really make a relationship move faster, I think. You're being forced to cooperate with someone and coordinate times to touch, you share your thoughts with a person, you feel comfortable with a person...i think it would be very hard not to _be _with that person you already feel so close to. I also think it's reasonable for Zuko to have some admiration for Katara, since this commitment to her was formed by his surprise for her acceptance of him.

A note on Zuko's personality: this is a Zuko who is much more secure in his beliefs than in the show. Because of that, he's a much more relaxed person. We don't get to see a lot of nice Season 3 Zuko because he is not fully accepted into the group and at peace until Katara forgives him in Southern Raiders. This Zuko did not face that fight, _and _he has Katara rooting for him and believing in him in a way she did not do in the show. I imagine this would have a significant effect on his personality.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Edited**_

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Zuko had never been kissed before.

Well, he supposed it might be more accurate to say he had never been kissed _like this _before.

Before his banishment, he had had a brief encounter with Azula's friend Mai who had a very large, very noticeable crush on him. Azula had dared them to kiss, with a slightly cruel edge, even at the age of 11. Mai was two years younger than Zuko, and though she had grown into her thin frame now, back then, she had largely resembled a boy. It was obvious that Azula hoped Zuko would refuse her friend for her looks and age, and it would be another thing Azula would be able to hold over them.

Zuko often thought fondly of this occasion as one of the few times he thought he had not fallen for Azula's tricks. He had outwitted her and simply kissed Mai softly on the cheek.

They had both blushed and, at the time anyway, he couldn't have imagined a more glorious feeling.

Even though he was only 13, Zuko could not believe his younger self had been so naive to think that innocent kiss on the cheek was what love was.

Later, when it was his 15th birthday and he was spending yet another night with his Uncle and crew aboard the ship, a few of the men had left the harbor for town for a secret 'mission' as they called it.

That night, his crew poured alcohol down his throat as they prepared him for his first time having sex. His first time having sex was to be with a prostitute.

Zuko supposed it was common enough. If he had still been at Court, no doubt his Father would have arranged for one of the palace concubines to see to his..._education. _

His Uncle, no doubt wanting things to feel as normal as possible for him (and probably wanting the opportunity to embarrass him with tips from his 'glory days'), had arranged it all. When the crew felt him drunk enough, they carried him on their shoulders to his room laughing uproariously. They dumped him on a bed that was already occupied by two women wearing revealing clothing.

Zuko didn't want to think about the things they had done, though he hoped he might be able to put the knowledge to good use one day and please Katara. Suffice it to say, he hadn't kissed them, and he had no illusions in thinking that was love.

Here, in his dark bedroom with his lips on Katara's, it felt as though time had stopped. The ship, usually emitting an endless cacophony of moans and groans, now had fallen completely silent. The relaxing _whoosh _of the waves of the ocean against the bow of the ship had disappeared too. And his chi, his whole _spirit..._everything inside of him was buzzing with the energy flowing between their lips.

Zuko had not known much love in his life, and he did not know if he loved Katara, but he remembered Katara's thoughts he had overheard just before they kissed.

_Of course they didn't need to be together, but why would they want to be with anyone else?_

The connection between them was buzzing so much it felt _loud _now, but Zuko did not want to stop and it was clear Katara didn't either. Zuko had never kissed anyone like this, but he tried to remember every piece of advice he had ever been told. He hesitantly opened his mouth and rubbed his tongue against hers.

The connection between them was a veritable explosion of sensation and color. Katara responded back enthusiastically, moaning slightly.

Just like that, she drew back. Zuko, unprepared for her sudden movement, fell forward slightly, panting a bit.

He couldn't look at her as he tried to get his breathing (and other things) under control.

Katara was looking at her hands as though she had never seen herself before.

"That一that was," she gasped, then she blushed, "I don't, I don't usually moan like that I don't know一" she was cut off by Zuko's disbelieving laugh.

He couldn't help but press his lips to hers again briefly, keeping her silent.

_Trust me, _he smirked against her lips, _I love that I can make you moan. _

Zuko surprised himself with that statement, though it was more than true. He felt possessive of everything about Katara, even her moans. He wanted to be the only one to cause them, and the only one to hear them.

Katara blushed even more deeply as she picked up on his thoughts. He smirked at her, blushing only slightly.

_Are you okay with that?_

She blushed again, but she had a small smile as she nodded.

_I think you're the only one I would like to hear them. _

They both blushed then, and when she looked down he took that second to collect himself.

Katara looked back up to start speaking.

"So back to what Yue suggested-"

"Hold on!" Zuko exclaimed, interrupting her, "You haven't agreed yet."

"Agreed to what," she asked confusedly.

He grinned wickedly, and kissed her again.

"Agreed to be mine," he nearly growled against her lips.

Katara blushed, then smile saucily.

"If I agree to be yours will I always get this many kisses?" she asked.

He looked at her in shock (and a little lust, if he was being honest. Who _was _thisgirl?). She grinned in response as he floundered. As confident and accepted as Katara made him feel, there was still a small part of him that felt like he was dreaming, a part that was just waiting to wake up.

"Just say it," he grumbled, a little bit sulkily.

"Promise me kisses."

"I'm not saying that out loud!"

"Promise me kisses, Zuko."

He paused, then relented with a wicked grin. _Risks bring rewards, _he thought.

"You'll get lots of kisses," the Prince promised, "and one day, I'll kiss every inch of your naked body." His eyes roamed her body pointedly. She flushed, and seemed to realize she couldn't win this battle.

"I'll be your girlfriend, okay!" she yelled exasperatedly.

"You'll be _mine, _Katara_", _his eyes were penetrating. He didn't know why he thought it important that she say that, maybe it was some deep-rooted male instinct to mark his female as his own (he laughed at the thought). Somewhere, deep in his bones, it felt important to acknowledge.

The Waterbender blushed as she finally met his eyes and spoke again. "I'll be _yours_, Prince Zuko."

She looked at him demurely. Zuko felt her surprise with herself. After all, Katara had never addressed him as a prince before (not without sarcasm anyway). Whatever the reason she said it, it made his blood boil. He kissed her softly, trying to get back to their conversation as he could see through the window that over an hour had gone by. They _did _actually need to go to sleep at some point.

Whatever he planned flew quickly out of his head when his lips met hers.

The increased tingling alone told Zuko he was right about Katara needing to acknowledge the fact that she _belonged_ with him and he with her. The loud buzzing and the explosive sensation of fire meeting water over and over again told him their bond had gotten stronger. It felt stronger, he felt like he could even feel her thoughts stronger. The impressions were even more distinct now and flashed quickly in his mind.

She slowly pulled away from him, her lips slightly swollen and flushed from their activities.

"Fuck," she said dreamily. Zuko laughed at her outburst. _No way did you just say that_. Katara smiled back sheepishly.

"Gran-gran was really strict about cursing back home," she explained, "she would wash our mouths out with whale-blubber soap if she ever heard us." She paused. "Those rules feel really...childish," she shrugged, "I'm not a child. I don't want to feel like a child with you."

_I want to be your equal. _

Zuko took pause at that. Though it hadn't always been this way, today, the core tenant of the position of the Firelord was no one was equal to or above you. The position carried with it a spiritual designation, a divine 'right to rule'. Though the Fire Lady was the Firelord's companion, as she was not born of royal blood, there was no way her authority could ever be considered equal to her husband.

And yet, here Katara was, confident laying out her terms for a relationship between them. She was already negotiating for herself, had mastered her element, and was already proving herself to be more than worthy of equal rule. He shook his head at the small Water Tribe girl in front of him. _When are you going to stop turning my life upside down?_

While he was lost in thought, Katara made herself more comfortable. She took his left hand in her own and lifted his arm just enough so she could slide under it.

Their chi slid against each other and reached out to meet in the space between. Zuko relaxed into the feeling, getting over his slight discomfort at being hugged. He hadn't been hugged except by his Uncle in years, and it was strange letting people into his space that weren't the old general.

As though she could hear his thoughts (and he supposed she could), Katara wiggled out from under his arm to look at him.

"I'll have you know, hugging is very important in the Water Tribe," she said in a mock official sounding voice, "If you're looking for someone to give you lots of hugs around here, it'll be me."

Zuko squeezed her hand. It was strange to be grateful for things he didn't know he was missing. Although he could choose to be angry at having Katara in his head, eeking away at his privacy, he instead felt like he had found something he had been missing. Here was someone who could know his deepest thoughts, who would almost always know how to cheer him up, and he could do the same for her. Here was someone he would never have to find the words to explain his fears and feelings to, as she would simply instinctively know. For a man like Zuko, a man who had spent so long searching for belonging, companionship, and acceptance, there could be nothing better.

And, in his signature 'both feet in' fashion, he vowed to spend the rest of his life thanking her.

He did not say any of this out loud, because he knew she already understood. Katara had succeeded in distracting him from his depressing thoughts about his Uncle. She could tell that as well.

"Thanks," said Zuko, not explaining what he was saying it for. There was silence, but he knew she understood.

**Author's Note: **Alright kids, how are we feeling about the kiss? The teasing? The possession? ;D I'll be honest, I love a possessive Zuko. Not only is it hot, but it definitely follows from the show and what we know of his childhood that he would be possessive. The only person who might encourage him to share was banished, and the only person he probably would have shared with was a psychotic bitch!

I hoped you liked my explanation about Zuko's lack of anger or denial about the bond by the way. I think it would be the same Katara. Both of these teenagers are lacking a best friend. They're lacking someone they can talk to that isn't a mentor, someone they have to take care of, or their brother. They will _both _be possessive of this relationship, because that's how new relationships are. Idk how long that will last but we'll let the characters speak for themselves ;D


	9. Chapter 9

_**Edited**_**: This chapter has been edited. I think it's much better now. **

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Katara was hesitant to break the peaceful silence that had settled between herself and the Firebender.

They had laid in the bed for some time now, her face tucked into his hard chest. After a few hesitant movements, Zuko had started stroking a hand gently through her thick hair, prompting her to remove the hair loopies so he could explore unfettered. Her scalp tingled almost painfully at the contact. _Everything already feels so much stronger. _She confessed to him across their link almost subconsciously.

His hand stilled for a moment in her hair before he spoke, voice rough. "Yeah, I know."

"How do you think it'll feel…" Katara swallowed hard, _after?_

Another pause. _After...tonight?_

She nodded, then nearly gasped as Zuko tugged lightly on her hair, prodding her to look him in the eyes.

"Do you really want to sleep with me?" He asked, curiously. He could hide nothing from her, and she easily saw the insecurities below the surface. She did her best to answer his question and reassure him at the same time.

Did she trust Zuko? _Yes, _she answered easily.

Did she believe he wouldn't try anything if she asked him not to? _Yes_, she answered again.

If things continue as they had been, was she ready for the intensity of their connection to go up another level?

Even her brain was silent. Clearly, she did not know the answer to that one.

Even knowing so little about the connection, the few weeks they had been on the boat showed how dependent they could be of each other now. If every aspect of their bond continued to intensify...Katara instinctively knew there must be a point of no return. There must be a point where the bond they shared would never be able to be denied, they would have to remain near each other forever.

She had already agreed to be _his_, sleeping next to him felt like it would cement her status in a way that was irreversible. Katara didn't necessarily mind being Zuko's (a thought she had never imagined would ever cross her mind), not really (though the possibility of living in the Fire Nation was a bit scaryーshe was getting ahead of herself). This bond just felt so precious, sacred and special that she was afraid of messing it up.

What if Zuko hated being tied to her and sensing her thoughts all the time?

Sensing her thoughts and mood shift, Zuko tentatively brushed the back of his hand against her cheek in comfort. Katara leaned into the comforting warmth and watched a hesitant smile bloom on the Prince's face.

"I don't know what will happen in the future either," he began, "and I can't guarantee that we will always feel the same way. And trust me, I'm just as scared as you are," he admitted. "But this bon….Katara I think we could be happy one day. One day after the war, I'd like to be happy with you." The last part was quiet enough she had to strain to hear him, even as close as they were.

_This is just all so strange, you know? And right now...everything is moving so fast. What if one day, you wake up, and you...regret it? _

Zuko looked at her in disbelief. She glared right back.

"You can't tell me you ever saw yourself with a peasant," she deadpanned. He rolled his eyes.

_If that's really what's bothering you, remember you're the Chief's daughter. _Katara tried to smile, but it didn't quite meet her eyes.

_Tell me what's really bothering you, _he commanded. She shivered, and tried not to think about how..._sexy_ his voice was when he said that and stay on topic.

"In my culture," she began hesitantly. _In my culture, a man and women should only lay next to each other if they are brother and sister or husband and wife. _

"It is dishonorable to sleep with a man in the Northern Water Tribe especially, which is why I was so surprised Yue was the one to give met his advice."

Zuko laughed slightly nervously. _Maybe we belong together or something, _he said half-jokingly.

She looked at him critically. Every girl wants to believe they have a soul mate out there, someone who was made perfectly for them, their other half. It sounds like a fairytale for children that had no place in their war-torn world.

On the other hand, how else could they explain this bond, a bond that had seemingly spring up out of nothing at the absolute perfect time? How could she explain Yue's advice? Yue had been a stickler for tradition, ready to marry a man she didn't like just to obey her traditions, why would she throw that all away now just because she was the moon?

Katara shook her head. The questions she had been asking herself since she left the South Pole had just been getting stranger and stranger.

They weren't asking the important questions, Katara decided. They was in the middle of a war, and she was no longer an isolated child in the South Pole. She could not fight when she felt mentally and physically exhausted by not being able to touch Zuko, and she could not protect Aang if she couldn't fight.

They needed more information about this bond, they needed to test their capabilities so they were prepared and not caught out by the enemy. Katara imagined whether or not they were meant to be together didn't matter too much. If they were, then they would be together, and if not, then there must be something better.

The fact was, the only advice they had received so far had been from Yue. It really wouldn't make any sense not to take it.

Zuko nodded, seemingly following along with her thoughts alongside her.

"Well," he started awkwardly, "if we're in agreement then we kind of should..." he gestured awkwardly to the bed.

Katara blushed. It _was _getting late, she had spent a long time doing laundry and thinking before she had come to Zuko's room. She looked warily at his bed. It was unquestionably nicer and larger than hers. _We _are _in the Royal Chambers, I suppose, _she snickered to herself.

She suddenly became of Zuko shifting next to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her down to his side. She had expected it to be awkward, but she was surprised by how warm, comfortable and content she felt in Zuko's arms. With the bond buzzing pleasantly between them and his strong arm wrapped around her waist, Katara easily fell asleep.

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Katara woke up some time later in an empty bed. Frowning, she looked at the light streaming through the window, then jumped out of bed with a gasp.

It was nearly noon! Her fellow Water Tribe warriors must be angry _and _hungry, and that was never a good combination. She usually was done with Aang's first healing session and starting on lunch by this time!

She frowned. Where was Zuko, and why hadn't he woken her up? Frowning even harder, she realized she was not feeling the usual coldness she felt when he wasn't around.

Could something have happened to their bond?

Katara fell to her knees in panic, and that was when she noticed the thickness of the rug she was kneeling on. It was a rich, deep red, but she could have sworn Zuko's room only had a small meditation rug. Katara looked a little closer at the room, and realized belatedly that it was much, much larger than Zuko's room on their stolen ship. The window she had looked to earlier was a true window, not a porthole. The walls were covered in extravagant red and gold wallpaper, the complete opposite of the ships dark grey metal walls.

Katara gasped in fear as a knock came at the door she had failed to notice before. She looked around for somewhere to hide, but it was to no avail as the person on the other side opened the door quite quickly. A small, thin figure ran into the room. Katara tensed, but she was just a child with inky black hair. Katara started to speak, wanting to explain herself and ask where she was, but the child didn't even look in her direction, too busy pouting in disappointment.

Through the open door, a child with a familiar set of bangs and piercing golden eyes walked in leisurely behind the thin girl. _Azula, _Katara thought to herself in fear, but the girl didn't look in her direction either.

_They can't see me, _she realized. She looked down at herself and saw that her tan skin was dull, and hazy. Her clothes seemed wispy and intangible, blowing in a nonexistent wind.

_I'm not real, _she understood, _is this a memory of some sort?!_

Her thoughts were cut off when Azula began speaking. Katara paid close attention, hoping the pint-sized (and hopefully slightly less dangerous) princess would reveal the reason she was here.

"I told you he wouldn't be here Mai," Azula said, her tone even and backed by power even now. The other girl, the crazy knife-wielding Mai from childhood she supposed, blushed.

"Well I just figured I'd check!" she defended, her tone starting out bland but quickly rising in her ire. Azula feigned a yawn.

"Yes, well I'd check the practice lawn if _I_ were you." Somehow, Katara understood the unsaid _good thing I'm not you_ behind Azula's statement.

It was clear Mai understood it as well, as she flushed further, looking down.

"It wasn't important anyway," she mumbled, "I just wanted to wish him luck on his Agni Kai tomorrow."

Unseen, Katara's eyes widened.

Azula tittered condescendingly, "I don't think any amount of luck could help dear Zuzu now," she laughed.

"You don't know that!" Mai leapt to his defense, then seemed to calm herself inwardly, probably aware of how childish she looked.

"Oh please, Mai," Azula said not even looking in her direction, "I know _everything." _

Mai tried to hide her shudder. "The General is old, maybe he'll slip up and Zuko will defeat him."

Thinking about what Zuko told her earlier those words sounded hollow to Katara, but she tried not to dwell on those thoughts, Maybe she should leave, these girls were just children anyway.

She started to turn, but stopped as Azula said something that made Katara's blood run cold.

"Trust me, I don't think his opponent will make any mistakes."

Both girls turned then to leave the room, closing the door on their way out while Katara fell back on the bed in disbelief.

_She knew_, Katara thought to herself angrily, _Azula knew what Ozai planned and did nothing. _

There were a million reasons it tactically made sense for Azula to do such a thing. Getting rid of Zuko would put her directly in line for the throne. It would cement her status as the most valuable Fire Nation Heir. _And_, it would hurt Zuko.

Katara frowned, thinking about her predicament. This couldn't be Zuko's memory, she deduced. He wasn't here…

Or was he? She looked around the room, unless a spirit had sent her this vision..._he must be here somewhere. _Then she heard a nearly inaudible sniffle.

She looked around again, listening hard. Not hearing anything more, she tried to reach out with her senses. She clearly did not have the bond with Zuko in this memory, but she thought she might be able to feel his chi still if he were close by.

Katara grasped the invisible rope in her mind with both hands and allowed it to pull her to a large closet resting against the wall. She opened the door to find a younger, shorter Zuko, with his Phoenix Tail disheveled and tears rolling down his cheeks.

It was his face she was most surprised to see. He was unscarred, and she had never seen him this way before. The paleness of his usually marred skin jarred her so much she almost didn't notice him hastily hiding the book in his hands.

"Azula?" Zuko called cautiously. His voice was higher, she noticed.

_Well, he's still a kid_, Katara thought to herself angrily.

Zuko had seemingly come to the decision that Azula was not there, but he decided it wise to leave the safety of the closet anyway. After he unfolded his legs and stretched, he reached into the closet and patted something, whispering to it softly.

"I should go train," he said regretfully, "Azula's right, but I'll make you proud. I promise." He gently closed the wardrobe door and left the room, never sparing Katara a glance.

After she was sure Zuko had gone, Katara once again reached for the wardrobe door, opening it and feeling around inside for whatever Zuko had been holding. Her hand closed around a thin book and, as she picked it up, a small piece of paper tucked in the pages fell out.

She reached down and picked the paper up. It was a portrait, she saw almost immediately. Katara thought it was Azula for a moment, then realized the woman was far too old. She looked at the book it had fallen out of.

"_Love Amongst the Dragons_," Katara read aloud. She shrugged to herself, opening the cover to the first page.

The book was signed. She squinted slightly in the dim light of the closet, trying to read the cramped, squiggly handwriting.

_Dearest Zuko, _it read, _even the dragons could not love each other as much as I love you, my son. Happy birthday! From your loving Mother, Princess Ursa. _

_Ursa must be the woman in the picture! _Katara thought as she connected the dots. She hurriedly picked up the picture again.

Zuko said he had lost his mother to the Fire Nation, so Katara guessed she was probably dead. She realized Zuko must hide in the closet to talk to and take comfort in the only thing he had from his mother, a lot like she did with her own necklace.

_He's scared_, she realized. There's no way Zuko had understood Azula's words, he would still think he would be fighting the aged General. And by the time he woke up, scarred and abandoned on his ship, the conversation accidentally overheard between Azula and Mai would have been far from his mind. He would miss his sister as children usually did, never knowing she had been part and parcel to this chapter of his life.

Despite this lizard-snake's nest of a palace he had grown up in and the challenging Pai Sho titles he had been dealt, Zuko was human, just a boy, and boys were often scared.

Most scared boys wanted nothing more than their mother.

With that thought, Katara returned the book and picture to the wardrobe gently and went back to sit on the bed. She had a feeling she had seen what she was meant to.

Idly, Katara looked out the window again and _blinked_.

When she opened her eyes again she instantly felt the constant swaying of the ship. She looked over in the dim light of dawn at Zuko's scarred face.

She tried to cry silently.

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**Author's Note: **I like Zutara action as much as the next person (obviously), so of course I've been angling this to get the happy couple in bed together. I have no godly idea where the sharing dream thing came from. It feels like it fell out of my subconscious and on to the page, but I like it. I like an unredeemable Azula, because I think she represents the other side of Zuko's destiny. She was everything he could have been if he embraced the darkness within him and truly became his Father's son. Besides, I think anyone who would attack their own Uncle with lightning really is unredeemable. Death is not reversible, so why should her personality be? Plus, I think the parallels often drawn between Azula and Katara are really interesting, so hopefully we shall explore Azula.


	10. Chapter 10

Azula looked out from the deck of the ship at the Royal Harbor rapidly approaching. She was sure if she used her telescope, she would be able to see the sheep-like servants and nobles and beggars crowded on the dock, cheering at the return of their Princess home.

She didn't bother pulling out her telescope. It would not do to have others think she cared if the peasants met her at the dock or not (because she didn't), and turned on her heel to return to her quarters.

There were two servants working on packing her things in preparation for their arrival when she arrived. Azula just barely inclined her head, idly hoping one of them would fail to notice her so things could get a bit more interesting. Instead, the servants snapped to attention, hurriedly rising to curtsey to their Princess as their eyes darted to the floor. They did not speak, having learned by now that Princess Azula did not tolerate lowly servants speaking in her presence.

Azula waited to acknowledge the servants, making them sweat. This specific pair had already been well-trained, so she did not bother to wait long.

"Leave."

The rushed to obey, scurrying out of the room so pathetically Azula almost shivered in disgust.

_Pathetic, _she thought. Azula shook thoughts of torture from her head as she settled in a throne-like armchair placed in the corner of the room. She needed to think and the constant swaying of the ship made her nauseous when she paced一not that anyone would ever find that out. She would not allow the enemy to ever see weakness.

This, this was how Azula maintained her control. _Everyone _was the enemy. It was one of the harder lessons for her to learn, but once she had mastered it, successfully built her mental wall keeping everyone out, she became unstoppable. You did not _trust_ the enemy, you put _fear _in the enemy.

It was only necessary that everyone fear her.

Her thoughts directed Azula back to her current problem: deciding what information she was going to give her _Father _about her conquest of Ba Sing Se.

_Zuko's failures always come back to haunt me, _she thought angrily. Her previous plan featured her arriving back in the Fire Nation victorious with the beaten down Zuko at her side. He would be easily controllable until he eventually betrayed Father and returned to the losing side, as she had known he would. Zuko was by far the easiest person to read.

So what if he had chosen the losing side sooner? Azula had known he would choose it, and that was the important part.

Now she would have to deal with the fallout caused when Zuko refused to follow the script. Azula did not want to tell the Fire Lord about her suspicions that the Avatar was still alive (she looked at every possible avenue, after all, unlike her _idiot _brother. She knew Waterbenders had healing powers). While Azula knew about Ozai's plan to be crowned the Phoenix King, appointing her as Fire Lord during the upcoming comet, she had greater designs. As long as there was a world to dominate then _she_ would be the one to dominate it.

_Everyone is the enemy, _she reminded herself calmly. Focusing on one's goal usually made work easier, after all.

Though Azula didn't have much hope that the Airbending idiot would be able to defeat her Father, she supposed there was a _small _chance. Keeping him ignorant would increase the Avatar's chances, perhaps giving her the opportunity to take the throne without having to take Ozai down. The trick was to keep him ignorant while still looking like a poised, ruthless winner. Fire Lord's didn't take the word of failures, failures like her brother.

_Three, two, one, _she counted down idly. There was an announcement, the Captain claimed they would reach port within the hour.

Azula sighed at the interruption, even though she had known it was coming, then slipped back into her thoughts.

Orchestrating the running of Ba Sing Se in a week had been taxing, even for her, and she wished she had a little more time to plan. Of course, there were no witnesses except herself, which made things a little easier, but which version of the story was the best to go with? Which left the smallest margin of doubt?

A knock on the door, one she didn't recognize. Azula tensed imperceptibly as she called a brusque 'enter'.

It was one of the Dai Li brainwashing specialists she had brought back with her. Azula had immediately seen the potential in their capabilities and brought a few of the idiots back to the Fire Nation with her.

_I mean really, who gives a skill like that away, no matter the amount of money?_

The agent paused, not yet having felt her wrath but picking up on the general mood of the ship.

Sheep could usually sense danger early, they were just too stupid to find a way out of it.

Azula nodded to the agent to hurry his message along. There were only 33 minutes and 15 seconds until they reached shore after all.

"Princess Azula," he bowed deeply, "I have employed our most..._effective _techniques against the Dragon of the West, bu一" he cut himself off as Azula's eyes narrowed.

"Deliver the news of your failure to me quickly so you can quit wasting my time," she said lightly. He eyed her, unfooled by her unaffected tone but, unable to find a way out, he quickly began speaking again.

"As I said Princess, I used every technique I could think of, but" he took on a pleading tone, "he is _strong _Princess I do not think I will be able to一"

_Useless_, Azula thought to herself. She had assigned an agent to question her _dear_ Uncle, knowing if anyone knew exactly how the Avatar might have survived, it would be him. He had been alongside Zuko tracking the ragtag rebels for so long he must have picked something up. Azula wanted to make sure any information the old man had would come to her and _not_ the Fire Lord when they finally arrived home.

This information had been valuable to her plan. She wondered at an appropriate punishment for such failure, then decided he would have to suffer later, only 29 minutes remained.

"Okay," she said, again making sure to keep her tone light, but driving her piercing gold eyes almost through him. He shivered.

_The best threats are unknown. _

The agent bowed lowly again, but did not apologize. He seemed to sense that there was nothing he could say to help his case, and left after she nodded his release.

Azula looked around the room after he left. _28 minutes remaining, but what to do? _She sat for some time in the silence of her empty room. Then, an idea struck her.

It was perfect. Ozai would be doubly surprised eventually if her plan was executed properly (and her plans _always _were). He would never see what was coming, and wouldn't expect to see his disappointing son fighting for the other side.

This execution would require careful maneuvering. Mai, Ty Lee and the Dai Li knew of Zuko's betrayal, and though she knew her _friends_ would never cross her, the Dai Li were not yet trustworthy. Azula could not be caught lying about who 'killed' the Avatar.

_9 minutes. _Azula thought there was just enough time for her servants to finish packing her things, if they hurried. And they would, fearing for one's life tends to do that to you.

She opened the door to step lightly into the hall, the tell-tale clicking of her komodo dragon skin boots instantly alerting her waiting servants to her presence. They jumped up to bow to her and she released them with a small gesture of her chin for them to scurry back into her room. She smiled faintly; _who said good help was hard to find?_

Azula allowed her signature mask of power and cruelty to familiarly slide into place a she swept past anyone else stupid enough to get near her. The torches on either side of the wall flared slightly as she walked; one must always present otherworldly image of being untouchable.

There were exactly 3 minutes and 43 seconds left before they docked by the time the Princess made her way out of the bowels of the ship. The Royal Chambers were located far below deck far from any known entrance in the case of an attack. As she emerged in the sunlight, Mai and Ty Lee caught sight of her and promptly broke up their conversation. They turned to face her and bowed in unison before Ty Lee looked up with her signature grin.

"Azula! Aren't you glad to be going home?" She sighed dreamily, "I'm most excited about the food! Or maybe seeing my sisters! Oooh, I'm also exite一" Ty Lee was cut off by the strange glint in Azula's eyes. She sensed trouble.

"Sounds marvelous, Ty Lee," the Princess said mockingly, "but I've come to discuss more important things."

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Azula practised making the torches on the wall flare once more as she walked slowly towards her Father's throne room.

He had finally called her to him late at night, long after the ship had docked and everyone else had greeted their family. She shuddered at the memory of one of Ty Lee's younger sister's trying to touch her with her sticky hands. The fear in Ty Lee's eyes when she noticed what was happening and arrived to rescue her sister was nice to see though.

_Left, 14 paces, right, 22 paces, _one corner of her mind was focused on her route through the Palace as the other prepared herself for her forthcoming meeting.

The late night summons was no coincidence, and Azula was actually slightly disappointed that the Firelord thought being woken from her near sleep would rattle her. Ozai had been responsible for her education after all, and they had read all the same books and knew all the same tactics. The late night summons was a power flex, nothing more. Admittedly, their similar knowledge made her Father a more formidable opponent than most, but she had never lost before, and she saw no reason why she should start now.

It would not be a hard lie to tell. Azula knew Zuko could redirect lightning, so to say that he had redirected it at the Avatar and killed him? It would be child's play. To lie about why Zuko had not returned home with her would be slightly harder, but still nowhere near impossible. Ozai would definitely believe that his pathetic son would think it not enough to kill the Avatar because it didn't meet the requirements of his banishment. His ego would feed the idea that Zuko was too afraid of his judgement to return, and far too afraid to ever join the other side. It was perfect, really.

Azula came to a sudden stop. The Throne Room was right around the corner. There needed to be no cracks in her armor. She meditated for several seconds, then composed herself and abruptly strode forward to push open the heavy, ornate doors. She walked confidently to the front of the room, and looked through a wall of flames into mirrored, golden eyes.

"Father," she breathed. He smiled.

"Princess Azula, I have been _waiting_ for the news you would bring."

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**Author's Note: **That was shorter than the last chapter but the next couple will be pretty long balance will return hopefully. They've been getting longer and longer as I get to know the characters and become slightly addicted to my own story...like i don't know what's going to happen any more than anyone else and I would really like to find out. Is it unreasonable to think Azula was plotting about over throwing Ozai? Maybe, but that is what she shall be doing here :D


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Warning: Guys this story is rated M. There will be adult content in this chapter. This is the last time I'll warn you as the story continues, so please be aware. Enjoy!**

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Zuko woke with the dawn like normal and immediately began to assess his surroundings. Traveling with his Uncle as refugees had honed his senses and made him cautious of those who might take advantage of them or figure out they were Firebenders. However, all his experience as a refugee, couldn't have prepared him for waking up to the sight of Katara laying sprawled across his chest.

_She really was beautiful, _he mused. There was a time when Zuko couldn't have imagined finding beauty in a girl like this, a girl with dark skin and thick, curly hair. A girl who wore cow-whale bone beads in her hair and had several small tattoos littering her skin (they were faint, but he liked to think he was very observant when it came to Katara). Men in the Fire Nation praised women for their fair, unblemished skin and straight hair, and though they might delight in the odd war prisoner turned concubine that might happen to be from the Water Tribes, they would never deign to actually bring these women into social circles or advertise what they were doing behind closed doors.

People in the Fire Nation valued women like Zuko's mother. His grandfather Azulon had lectured the Fire Nation Prince and Princess dozens of times about Ozai's desire for Ursa's beauty, and how he had demanded to have her until she belonged to him. The story was meant to be a lesson about how no one could deny the Fire Lord what he desired-no person, no nation, and most of all, _no Avatar. _

Thinking about his mother made him think of what had woken him up. He had had a strange dream, he was holding the old copy of _Love Amongst the Dragons _his mother had given him. He was locked in a wardrobe in his room at the Palace.

He was crying.

Zuko strained his memory to recall what had been said in his dream, but it was too late and it was already slipping away from him. He sighed and looked at Katara again, putting his dream out of his mind. He started when he realized there were dried tear tracks on her cheeks.

He wanted to wake her up and ask her why she was crying, but Zuko restrained himself. The Waterbender needed her sleep, and he suspected she would tell him what had causerd her tears when she woke.

Zuko hoped she woke soon. He was used to rising with the sun and so was his bladder, it was protesting lightly at the way Katara had positioned her knee. He wiggled slightly, trying to wake her gently at first, then starting to shake her when the need to relieve himself became urgent. Katara awoke with a start, almost falling off the bed, but Zuko was too busy throwing off the covers and leaping out of the bed to notice.

He made it to the bathroom just in time and shut the door behind him to go about his business when it was rudely slammed open by an irate Waterbender.

"What the hell, Zuko!", she yelled, "If you didn't want to sleep with me you could have just said so." Her anger couldn't hide the slight hurt in her voice as she whipped her head around and headed for the door.

Zuko's senses felt slow as he watched her head to the door, but he quickly snapped out of his fog. He wasn't sure why she was this angry, nor was he used to people yelling at him at all if he was being honest. To avoid putting his foot in his mouth, he rushed towards the Waterbender and grabbed her hand. The Fire Nation Prince tried to _push_ his confusion towards her.

_I had to go to the bathroom. _She huffed in response and jerked her hand away from him.

"Well you didn't have to nearly push me off the bed!"

"I tried to wake you!", Zuko yelled, his temper rising in response. Katara's face took on an indignant look as she prepared a response when suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

They both fell silent as they looked at the door in trepidation. Who could be in the Royal Wing?

"It's me, lovebirds!", a girls voice yelled sarcastically from the other side of the door.

_Toph._

Katara looked at Zuko with worry and he felt his anger vanish. _How did she do that? _He wondered. The Waterbender gives him one scared look and all of a sudden he wants to leap to her rescue.

And he still hadn't _pissed _goddamit!

Zuko tried to forget his bladder as he squeezed Katara's hand to reassure her before going to open the door. He knew how she felt about her culture, but over the last week he had fallen prey to Toph's unique skills enough to realize that she already knew Katara was in the room and no amount of hiding would hide that fact.

He opened the door slowly after hearing Toph clear her throat loudly on the other side.

She was frowning. "Nice of you to let me in", she said sarcastically, "Now I want to know what's going on here," she said with a mischievous smile. Zuko and Katara looked at each other again, knowing Toph would be able to sense any lie they came up with anyway.

"Well…", he said slowly, what had his life come to, being extorted by a 12 year-old?, "Katara and I are kind of...dating?" The last part came out like a question as it certainly did not feel like they were only girlfriend and boyfriend, since Katara was _his_ and he was pretty sure they were bonded for life, but there was no way Zuko was going to give up information about the bond.

Toph rolled her eyes.

"Well that's obvious, but _why_?", she asked precociously.

"Why?", Katara echoed.

"Yeah, why were you sleeping in his room just because you guys are dating?"

Toph sounded surprisingly sincere and curious, and Zuko realized she had no idea what sex was-not that they had been doing that, but still.

Katara seemed to realize her secret was safe and started laughing as she walked away, "ha, ha, I think I'll let Zuko explain that one", she giggled. She composed her face slightly to shoot a "make sure you don't tell anyone!" over her shoulder as walked out the door.

Zuko took a moment to marvel at how slight the cold emptiness at her departure had become before he turned to face Toph with a sigh. One week traveling with the Avatar and he had become a stand in Sex-Ed teacher! He tried not to roll his eyes.

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It had been two weeks since the night Katara had first slept in Zuko's room, and things on the ship were in chaos. They had been discovered as a captured ship and were now locked in battle with the opposing Fire Nation crew, all while trying to keep the Avatar from blowing his own cover.

Aang had awoken earlier in the day and confusedly tried to escape the ship, but he was ecstatic to see the Gaang once he realized he wasn't in danger, even Zuko had gotten a (reluctant) hug.

Things before Aang's awakening had been going…smoothly, almost _blissfully_, and Zuko truly was not used to this level of content in his life. Toph had stuck to her promise not to blab about Zuko and Katara's relationship, the downside being that she decided she deserved the privilege to make a wide range of sexual jokes to their consternation when no one was looking. The Duke and Pipsqueak had taken her under their wing and the three of them were constantly pulling pranks on people.

Zuko and Katara happily continued their nighttime rendezvous' in secret, talking late into the night. In Katara, he had found someone willing to listen to and offer advice about his problems and his past without pity, as a servant might, and without confusing metaphors, as his Uncle did. It had taken time to adjust to having someone in his space (_a lot _of time, if Zuko was being honest), but soon he felt lonely without the Waterbender there.

By far their biggest hurdle had come from the way Katara was treating her father, Hakoda. From Zuko's perspective, there was nothing more honorable one could do to protect their family than give them up to leave for battle, not knowing if you would ever return. Katara was too hurt to see the logic in that, and it was not until she and Hakoda finally had a long overdue tear-filled conversation that Katara had apologized to Zuko for her anger.

Whenever he thought about the way she had apologized his cheeks lit up with thoughts of how good her lips had felt pressed against his.

Now that Zuko had someone to talk to about the things that made him angry, he found that he wasn't...so...angry? It was strange, it was hard for the Prince to describe the difference, but apparently it was very clear to everyone else. He made fast friends with Sokka now that Zuko wasn't so prickly about jokes made about his expense, and Toph had become the little sister he and Katara had never had, spending a lot of time with them since the Earthbender was the only one that knew their secret.

Katara was easily his best friend. Zuko supposed it couldn't be helped, he spent the most time with her anyway. Before though, before they had really been friends, he had always secretly held the fear that she had hung him around just because of the bond. With the increased sensitivity of the bond she had quickly and efficiently put his doubts to rest, easily making him feel like the most special person in the world.

Being in a relationship for Katara seemed to come so naturally. She easily fell into a wide slew of roles, providing him an excellent challenge in a sparring match then bringing him a snack of mango slices later because she knew they were his favorite. She was _extremely _affectionate when they were alone, constantly hugging him or simply tracing her hand over his back and, when they were in public, she did little things to make him feel special, like offering him an extra portion at meal times or complimenting his move in a duel.

For Zuko, it was very hard for him to show affection. He was unused to doing a lot of things by himself, even after his months living as a refugee, and nothing he _had _learned being a refugee had prepared him for being in a secret relationship in the middle of a war. He certainly had had few examples of healthy relationships as a child. The only family member that had truly loved their spouse in recent history was Uncle, and he had lost almost as soon as he married her and had his son.

Zuko did his best to show his affection with things he understood. Court life had dictated a lady should usually be escorted, so Zuko did his best to walk Katara to and from her various activities, taking the time to talk with her and get to know her better. He sometimes let her win when they sparred and tried his best to help her out with some of the chores. He learned how to fish from the Water Tribe men and had put his skills to use when they paused in waters known to be rich with fish, then coolly (excitedly, if he was being honest) presented his first catch to Katara, who had responded with a large smile.

Zuko looked to Katara now, letting his thoughts slip away and refocusing on the battle. His eyes found Katara on the other side of the ship, using her Waterbending to create a huge cloud of steamy cover.

It didn't work, the enemy Fire Nation ship continuing to follow closely behind them, pelting deadly, fiery boulders. One of them landed on Toph's stock of Earthbending ammo, obliterating it.

"Well, at least I don't think it can get any worse", Sokka said hopefully.

On cue, a Giant Sea Serpent burst from the waves, screeching in anger.

Sokka sighed, then everyone on the Avatar's ship cheered as the Serpent suddenly changed direction and wrapped its body around the enemy ship, slowly sinking it.

In the immediate aftermath of the battle, Zuko looked to Katara. She looked exhausted, and he thought she was probably suffering the exhaustion of the bond as well as physical exhaustion from all the bending she had done. They had discovered since they had begun sleeping together that they could go longer periods of time without touching, and the prolonged contact charged the bond to the point that it acted as a backup well of strength they could use in a fight. Using the bond in this way came at a cost however, and they would have to 'recharge' so to speak immediately after or begin to feel as cold and empty as they had in the beginning. Zuko started to head over to her, he was exhausted too, after all.

As he reached the Waterbender he took a seat on some boxes next her. She started to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of an angry Aang loudly complaining about being made to lay down and slamming a door. Katara rose to go after him, but Zuko grabbed her hand, the buzzing immediately coming back with a pleasurable vengeance.

_Let him go for now, _he promised, _if we're still going to leave the ship for dinner we need to charge now. _

Zuko had a few ideas for tonight's planned trip into town at the next port, and one of them involved separating from Katara so he could find a gift for her, and the bond would need to be closer to full strength in order for them to be apart for that long. He had found plenty of trunks of gold coins in the ship's cargo hold and while he may be lacking in relationship experience, gifts were both something he felt like he could do well, and a large part of court relationships.

Katara looked at their joined hands and Zuko listened to her conflicted thoughts for a moment until it became obvious she had reached a decision. Katara let go of his hand before she turned to her Dad.

"Dad, I'm going to lie down", she didn't have to try very hard to look exhausted, "Zuko, will you help me?"

Zuko took that as his cue to stand up and wrap one arm around her waist, curling his other arm gently around hers so that he was supporting most of her weight. Hakoda nodded approvingly.

"Get some rest before we head reach port tonight, I'll tell everyone not to disturb you".

It was rare that Katara found an escape from her chores, especially for the whole afternoon, so the pair decided to seize the opportunity with both hands. Well, maybe it was just Zuko who decided to take the opportunity, as he barely waited till they were turned away from Hakoda before he started projecting images into her head of exactly how they might _relax _now that they were assured no one would bother them.

The air between them was charged with sexual tension and amplified by the connection of the bond on their walk back to Zuko's room. Over the past couple of weeks, they hadn't gone much further than kissing each other as they tried to get to know each other better. Katara, though she was the most affectionate person Zuko knew, was inexperienced, and Zuko didn't want to push her into something she didn't want to do.

He could feel that they were both feeling slight trepidation at how the bond might change as their relationship progressed. For his first couple of days on the captured ship, Zuko had felt as though his Firebending was getting weaker, his fire barely hot enough to scald. Zuko supposed it had a lot to do with the fact that he had always powered his Firebending with anger, and he was lacking in anger now that he had changed sides.

That weakness had abated practically overnight the first night he and Katara had slept next to each other. The additional boost from the bond gave Zuko all the power he needed and more. His flames had been hotter, starting to turn blue at the tips, a feat he had never accomplished before.

If Zuko was being honest, even though he was extremely proud of himself for his progress and grateful to the bond and Katara's support, his old insecurities were starting to rear their ugly heads. Zuko had been scared of Azula's blue fire when she first produced it just before he was banished, but he had soon switched his fear directly to the source: his younger sister. The Princess was deadly because she was in complete control of the blue flames. She could call it to her at a moment's notice and the flames never dared disobey her.

However, Zuko was no prodigy, and he feared he might hurt himself or Katara one day if he did not learn how to completely control the flames. He had a feeling that, as the two of them progressed in the physical aspect of their relationship and further explored their bond, the flames would only become hotter, and they still didn't know what other effects the bond may have on them. Though they still did not know what this bond was or how it came to be, they _did _know that it was clearly powered by physical energy-the closer they got to each other, the better.

It was a good thing Zuko desired nothing more than to be close to the Waterbender.

They had finally reached the door to his room and Katara had a deep blush on her face. She went in first while Zuko veered away from the bed to head to the dresser and grab a pair of sleep pants and, after a moment's hesitation, one of his tunics for Katara. He had picked up on her thoughts a couple of times when they snuck into his room at night and he knew she hated sleeping in her bindings, but she felt it was the proper thing to do. Zuko thought if he loaned her one of his thick red tunics in place of her worn and thin blue one she might feel a little more comfortable taking her bindings off.

He would be lying if he said the thought of Katara in his clothing didn't excite him.

Zuko walked over to where Katara sat on the bed, silently handing over the clothing he had picked for her, purposely brushing his hand against hers. He pushed the image his head had conjured of her wearing the tunic into the bond through Katara's hand.

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Katara blushed at the image Zuko had pushed into her head. She had been becoming more and more curious over the past couple of weeks about the direction the relationship between Zuko and she might go. Now, her exhaustion combined with all the feelings brought on by battle made her want to be closer to Zuko than ever before. She wanted to be comforted by his presence and wrapped in his warmth. She wanted to reassure herself after the dangerous battle that he was okay and, in doing so, replenish the bond.

With Aang now being awake, Katara knew they would now have even less time to themselves. She couldn't have failed to notice Aang's painfully obvious crush on her either. Even though she knew it would upset him to find out the truth of what had been happening while he slept, she was tired of hiding her relationship with Zuko. She wanted to be able to hold his hand in public and maybe kiss his cheek, and the only obstacles standing in her way of being able to do that were Aang, Sokka, and her Dad.

Those obstacles were the reason Katara was glad she and Zuko were waiting to tell the others about their relationship. These past few weeks had allowed the friends and Water Tribe warriors invaluable time to get to know and respect Zuko outside of his title as Prince of the Fire Nation. Now, Sokka and Zuko were on their way to being friends, and the Prince was respected by all the warriors for his surprising skill at dual broadswords, including the Chief.

Zuko loosening up had also given Katara the opportunity to allow her relationship and trust for Zuko to grow as she quickly began to realize she could easily fall in love with this man, even if they were not bonded.

Katara already loved a lot of things about him. She loved the way he was so unlike most of the men she had ever known. Though Zuko had his more 'wild' moments, most of the time his royal background shone through and he was a perfect gentleman. His background had also afforded him a very complete education, and Katara thought she would spend hours listening to him about his different theories and all the things he had learned about history and music and poetry if she could.

Zuko was more serious than the other boys Katara was surrounded by (namely her brother and Aang) and that made Katara feel as though she could relax when he was around, as though he could handle taking half the responsibility from her shoulders and he didn't mind taking care of her. He noticed when she needed help with the chores and tried his best to help, even though the Prince wasn't exactly used to manual labor.

Most recently, as Zuko began to open up more and more and became comfortable with physical affection, Katara had begun to love the way he kissed her. Unlike kissing Jet, the bond allowed Katara to experience everything Zuko felt and vice versa. The connection acted like a feedback loop for the pleasure and positive energy, bouncing it back and forth through the warmth between them. Katara could feel exactly how much Zuko wanted to please her and make her happy, and how insecure he felt about his ability to do that. She in turn could reassure him, project to him how happy he made her, those emotions only adding to the tension between them.

Katara could tell the tension was working up to some sort of peak, but they had not yet reached the edge. The privacy of their relationship demanded they meet only at night when they were already exhausted from the day's work and their bodies ready for sleep. Now though, it was the middle of the day and they had hours before the boat docked at the next port and, though they were both tired from battle, they were definitely not sleeping just yet. Katara could feel Zuko wanted to be close to her too.

Katara looked down at the tunic Zuko had pushed into her hand. It was a deep red color and the fabric was rich. She had been avoiding taking her bindings off in front of him, even with a shirt covering her breasts, but now…

Now, if Katara was being honest, she wanted to take off her shirt and bindings right in front of him. Some deep-rooted part of her wanted to know what he might think of her body and trusted Zuko with her body above any other.

She also wanted to find out if the bond would do that feedback loop pleasure thing even more, and if they might finally reach that peak. She knew Zuko didn't want to push her, so it was up to her to take the first step.

Katara made sure she wasn't touching Zuko, not wanting him to get a hint about what she was going to do.

_Hopefully it's a good surprise, _she thought nervously. Standing up, she grabbed Zuko's tunic, making like she was going to head to the bathroom and put the garment on. Halfway there, she stopped and took a deep breath then, before she could lose her nerve, Katara slowly began lifting the shirt she was wearing over her head after dropping Zuko's tunic to the floor.

Even with her back to him and while not touching him, Katara could tell shock was written all over Zuko's face.

"Katara…wha-what are you-"

"I don't want to have sex!" Katara interrupted hastily, momentarily pausing in her task to look back at Zuko over her shoulder, her blue tunic riding up and exposing the skin of her back, "I just-I", she walked back over to him, grabbing his hand.

"I wanted to feel close to you", she said finally. _I kind of wanted you to see me, is that silly?_

Zuko looked at her for a second, dumfounded.

_Of course I want to see, but only if you want to show me. _

Katara could tell from his thoughts that Zuko wanted to be the one to strip her of her bindings, but he also knew it was important for Katara to go at her own pace. Katara shot him a grateful smile as she once again put space between herself and the Firebender and moved back to the center of the room. She turned her back to him once more— she might feel sure of her decision, but that didn't mean she wanted to face him head on. She needed time to gather her nerve.

Katara took her time pulling the blue fabric over her head. Besides the fact that she was nervous, the worn blue tunic was the same one she had worn since she had left the South Pole and the fabric was threadbare and thin and littered in rips. Her bindings were in a similar state, under more pressure than the rest of her clothes as her breasts had grown in this past year.

As nervous as she was, one thing Katara did not fear was betraying her culture. She had been afraid a lot in the beginning, afraid of reading too much into things and getting hurt. Over the past few weeks however, she had easily grown to trust the Prince and miss his company-and not just because of the bond. She felt secure in the fact that Yue herself had given her advice and wouldn't have sent her to Zuko's room that night two weeks ago if she disapproved at all of where they might end up.

Finally Katara stood there, top half naked, bottom half stripped down to her bindings, still facing away from Zuko. She took a deep breath, and turned to face him.

The Waterbender fought hard to keep her hands at her side as Zuko looked at her. He was staring at her so intensely she had to fight every instinct she had to cover herself up.

Plus, Katara would have to have been blind not to not to see the large bulge in his pants.

Zuko must have noticed she was nearly shivering in nervousness now as he took pity on her, but he kept his eyes purposefully on her form as he leaned forward to pull the Waterbender to the bed.

_You are very beautiful_, he thought to her. Katara sighed in relief. She knew it was silly to worry about some boys opinion so much, but then she supposed Zuko was not just 'some boy', so maybe it wasn't _so_ silly.

_Have you ever seen boobs before? _Katara thought to him coquettishly. It was much easier like this, to talk in their thoughts. It was easier when she felt like she didn't have to force the words up through her closed off throat.

Zuko looked embarrassed. Suddenly, Katara had an image of a small Fire Nation crew clearly having some kind of celebration, Zuko drunk at the center. The scene blurred as Zuko was carried down the hallway to a room—

_Oh, _Katara blushed. She supposed she should have expected it; a prince could never be less than the best at anything—sex included. It was only natural that Zuko receive a proper education from those most skilled in the art.

Even with that logic Katara couldn't help but feel a little put out.

Zuko easily picked up on her thoughts and frowned in concentration for a moment as he pushed something back in response. Katara blushed when the impression appeared in her mind.

_I suppose seeing yours is a little bit like seeing them for the first time. The others definitely weren't as big. _

Katara blushed. The women of the Water Tribes were well known for being curvy and exotic, and Katara certainly fit that bill to a 't'.

Taking advantage of her distraction, Zuko leaned in to kiss her, hesitantly brushing the back of his finger across her hard nipple. Katara nearly scared herself at the volume of the moan she let out.

She had never found her nipples to be overly sensitive but, with the bond…

_It-it's so much, _she tried to tell Zuko as he slowly became less gentle as soon as he was sure she was enjoying the experience. He tweaked her nipple gently, using his Firebending to warm his other hand as he ran it down her bare back and brushed Katara's skin where her waistband began.

The feedback loop of the bond was there two-fold now as Zuko caressed her tongue possessively with his own, pressing his lips to hers insistently as he alternated massaging her boobs with his warm hands and cupping her ass through her bindings. The tension in the bond was reaching that familiar place where she could tell the peak was just around the corner, but once again she could not get there.

Zuko suddenly pulled Katara into his lap, positioning her so she was straddling him. He removed his lips from hers to use them on her boobs instead, opting to use his hands to grip her hips tightly and possessively, pulling her down to get as close to her as possible.

Katara was feeling warm all over. There was a tightness between her legs that she had felt she couldn't relieve until Zuko pulled her hips against his hardness. Something brushed a place between her legs, and suddenly her bindings felt damp and _hot_. She moaned louder.

_Zuko, please. _What she was asking for she didn't know, but Zuko seemed to know her body better than she did. Katara wrapped her arms tightly around his neck trying to ground herself closer to him as he nibbled and kissed and sucked every inch of her boobs, leaving small bruises and love bites that he soothed with his tongue.

_I like being able to see my marks all over you_, he thought satisfiedly. Katara was embarrassed at how the thought made her tingle all over and made heat gather in her abdomen, but her embarrassment quickly left her mind as Zuko finally-_finally _sucked one of her dusty nipples into his mouth.

Katara watched in fascination while lost in pleasure as he sucked _hard, _then removed his lips from the slightly swollen organ. He pursed his lips and blew cool air on her nipple, the shock to her system going right to her bindings.

Katara was extremely frustrated. It felt like she was so close to her goal, her peak, and yet she couldn't quite fall over the edge. She writhed in her Prince's lap, trying to find relief.

"Zuko!", Katara cried out. The Prince's name was ripped from her lips as he took her other nipple in his mouth. He looked up at her through his eyelashes with lust-filled eyes, smiling lecherously around her nipple.

"What is it, my Waterbender?", he asked, pinching and rolling her nipple since his mouth was occupied, "do you like it when I touch you?"

Katara nodded with a gasp as he put his mouth back on her nipple. She instinctively rolled her hips, trying to find more friction to relieve the tension as Zuko thrusted in time with her, putting his hand back on her hips to move her body the way he wanted. The pleasure bouncing back and forth through the bond was almost too much. Just a little bit more….

Suddenly, Zuko reached down between them and rubbed _that spot _between her legs. The pleasure easily overrode the embarrassment as Katara became undone, the bond exploding into an almost scalding warmth between them.

Katara buried her head into Zuko's neck as the waves of pleasure emanating from Zuko through the bond kept coming and mixed with her own. She could feel her Prince's pleasure increase as she copied him by nipping his neck as lightly as she could, sucking and licking the salty skin to soothe him.

After what felt like hours, the aftershocks finally abated and Katara and Zuko shuddered one last time in synchrony. He then kissed her deeply as he pulled her off his lap and down next to him as he scooted them down to lay on the pillows.

The bond settled in content as she nuzzled into his hard chest. Zuko kissed the top of her head almost in reverence.

_Are you okay? _He pulled away from her slightly so he could look at their face in concern. She laughed in response.

_Of course! I've never felt anything like that before. _As sated and tired as Katara was, she definitely wanted to experience these feelings again.

Zuko didn't say anything, but he was radiating happiness into the bond. He kissed her one more time before he extinguished the fire-light with a thought.

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**Author's note: **Guys, I've never written a lemon (lime?), so let me know how it went. It felt hot to me, but this chapter was sooooooo long, literally double the length of my usual chapters! I based this off my own first time to second base (or is it third base? I need a middle school reference dictionary :D) so hopefully it was realistic.


	12. Chapter 12

Zuko woke with the start of someone who was dreaming of falling from a high height. He opened his eyes blearily, his content and exhaustion wanting him to sleep more. He decided to do just that, his arms acting on their own accord to attempt to get Katara even closer to him….

Except, she wasn't in his arms where she belonged. Startled, Zuko opened his eyes a little more, before blinking in shock at the warm furs he was wrapped in, far too warm to be found on any Fire Nation ship. He pushed the furs back immediately, his feeling of content disappearing in favor of a hardened and battle ready state of mind. Once he had abandoned the furs, Zuko decided it prudent to gather information before he wandered any further into possibly enemy territory. He looked around the room he was in and nearly gasped.

Instead of the familiar metal ship walls of his banishment he was surrounded by a wall of white. The wall was curved on all sides, forming a dome with a small fire pit in the middle and a low entrance on the opposite side he would have to crawl out of. There were more piles of furs on the floor, clearly sleeping room for more people.

_I must be in one of the Water Tribes, _Zuko realized. Nowhere else in the world was it cold enough to build igloos, after all. Katara has told him a few stories of her homeland, enough for Zuko to immediately put a name to the structure he found himself in. He looked around the room for some time, startled at just how small it was. _These _were the conditions the Fire Nation was forcing this once proud people to live in without their waterbenders.

Zuko started as a small figure crawled out from under one of the larger furs. She was very young, barely 5 if he was guessing correctly. He immediately recognized the girl's familiar hair loopies and huge, bright blue eyes. _Katara. _

There was no place for the Firebender to hide in this one room, but that didn't seem to matter as the younger Katara observed the empty furs around her with a disappointed look on her face. She showed no sign of seeing Zuko, and he might have thought her blind if he hadn't looked down at his hand.

Zuko has never visited the Spirit World (though he had been told Sokka had and that it was a long story), but he imagined this is what he might look like if he ever did end up there. His hands were hazy and had taken on an almost gray pallor. A quick test of his firebending proved he couldn't produce any flame. He relaxed at the realization that this must either be a vision from the spirits, or some kind of memory of Katara's. There seemed to be no immediate danger.

Katara looked around the empty igloo once more with a sigh. "They've gone fishing without me again," she said glumly. She grabbed a tiny parka from a pile by the door and quickly dropped to her knees to hurry out of the igloo, Zuko following behind her.

"Maybe I can catch them!" She exclaimed after looking at the position of the sun. It was still early, Zuko realized, even in a dream his senses told him it was barely dawn. The endless white tundra dotted with a few tents and igloos all looked the same to Zuko, but Katara clearly knew where she was going as she put on the mittens that had been hanging on a woven string from her parka sleeves and took off at a jog. She was short enough that Zuko was able to follow behind her at a walk as Katara unknowingly led him to an icy outcrop near the sea that was clearly being used as a makeshift dock with a few men preparing their boats for the day. She looked around for a moment before clearly spotting what she was looking for as she sprinted to a specific boat where two familiar but younger people were standing. _Hakoda and Sokka._

Sokka was the first to notice her arrival. "What are _you_ doing here?" He asked meanly. Hakoda, who had looked up when Sokka began speaking, immediately admonished the younger boy.

"Sokka, don't talk to your sister like that," he said sternly.

"But _Dad_," the younger warrior whined, his Wolf's tail quivering in frustration, "she's a _girl_. This is a _men's _fishing trip. _Only _for men." He puffed his chest up as he directed that last statement at Katara whose eyes flashed in indignation.

"Girls can fish too!"

"No they can't!"

"Can too!"

"Can not!"

"_Can t—"_

"Enough!" Hakoda yelled, tired of the siblings bickering. He looked to his daughter and softened his tone. "Katara, you know it's a tradition for boys to learn how to fish so they can present them to their intended one day as proof of their ability to provide for them." Zuko started at this information, fighting the spirit world blush rising on his cheeks. _No wonder Katara looked so happy when I presented the fish to her. _

Sokka's triumphant look didn't last long as Hakoda continued "Sokka has not yet caught one fish, so he needs to come with me and learn a little bit longer."

Katara's bottom lip clearly threatened tears as it quivered. "But I want to fish too!" She insisted. Hakoda didn't respond immediately as he looked to the sun's movement and took in the now almost deserted dock. It was clearly time to leave.

"Maybe when you're older," he said non committedly. Unseen by Hakoda, Sokka stuck his tongue out at her as he jumped in the canoe. Hakoda gave Katara a hug and patted her head before he joined his son in the canoe and they pushed off, quickly disappearing into the fog of early morning.

Zuko wanted to comfort Katara as she burst into tears, but he knew she couldn't see him. Luckily, another figure approached her, a beautiful woman with a similar looking hairstyle and the same blue eyes. The woman wrapped Katara in a hug as she continued to cry, unbothered by her tears. Zuko felt slightly awkward watching such a private moment, and was saddened at the thought that his own Mother had never really comforted him like that, too constrained by the expectations of court life and his Father.

"Why are you crying, my daughter?" The woman, now identified to be Katara's Mom asked. _Kya, _Zuko remembered Katara telling him one night.

Katara sniffled, "Dad and Sokka said only _boys _can fish, but I want to fish too!" She stomped her little foot to emphasize her point, and her Mom smiled.

"It's cold on the water sweetheart, I don't think you would want to go fishing out there anyway," the older woman smiled at her secretly, "but now the boys have given us this whole day to ourselves. What should we do?"

Katara frowned seriously, her tears drying up instantly now that her Mom had promised to spend the day with her. "Sokka says penguin sledding is for babies and he won't go anymore. Will you come with me?" Her big blue eyes were shining with hope. Her Mom easily gave in, taking Katara's smaller mittened hand in her own.

"Of course, I haven't been penguin sledding in ages!" She laughed. They both turned towards what looked like another indistinguishable part of frozen tundra to Zuko when it happened.

Katara, naturally walking on the side closer to the water, suddenly lost her footing on the icy ground and began to fall in what felt like slow motion, her hand ripped from her Mother's. Kyaーand Zuko unseenーboth reached out for her, knowing the waters were ice cold and children especially could die in minutes when being exposed to those temperatures, but their worrying seemed pointless as Katara put out her mittened hands to brace her fall, the water in her vicinity froze solid, and she landed on a solid block of ice instead.

Time seemed frozen for a second as Zuko watched a string of emotions cross Kya's face. Gratitude was one. Proudness was another. Horror was the last. As the panic clearly began to set in, Katara's Mom grabbed her daughter's hand and hauled her back on the mainland.

"Mommy, how do you think I did that?! Do you think I can do it again?! Maybe I'm like those Waterー," Katara was nearly babbling in her excitement before Kya cut her off by grabbing her shoulders harshly.

"Listen to me Katara," she whispered furiously, "you _will _listen to me as though your very life depended on it, because it does." Katara was silent, her blue eyes widened in shock at her Mom's harsh words. Knowing Kya's fate, the words sounded hollow to Zuko.

"You will _never_ breathe a word of this to anyone. Anyone! Do you hear me?" Katara was silent for a moment, but her Mom would not let it lie.

"Answer me! _Do you understand?"_ Kya commanded. Katara's face crumpled and she seemed to want to burst into tears again, but the seriousness of the situation seemed to be apparent even to her 5 year old brain.

"What about Sokka and Dad and Gran-Gran?" Katara asked desperately. Her Mom remained unmoved.

"_I_ will tell them. You will say nothing. Now, _do you understand_?" Katara's bottom lip quivered as she nodded in response.

"I won't tell anyone but...can we still go penguin sledding?" Katara's Mom clearly wanted to say no, but one look at those bright blue eyes and she caved.

"Alright," Kya allowed. It was clear to Zuko that she was trying to hide her distress from her daughter, but Katara simply grinned in response, grabbing her Mom's hand and dragging her in the direction of another endless sea of white.

Zuko was the only one there to witness the small tear that rolled down Kya's cheeks as soon as her daughter's back was turned. He turned to head back to the igloo; he knew how this story would end.

The icy landscape seemed to dissolve under his feet as he walked. Slowly, the white snow began to bleed into the grey walls of the ship. Zuko blinked and found himself in his bed with the Katara of the present tucked into his side where she belonged. He simply soaked up the content of the bond for some time, looking out the porthole to determine it would soon be evening. Katara would need to leave his room before someone came looking for them.

He looked at her peaceful, sleeping face, remembering her childish tantrum from the dream. _No, _he thought to himself, _I don't _want_ to end this war. I _need_ to. _

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The sun was streaming through the windows at a very low angle when Katara woke up, letting her know it would soon be evening and that she would need to head back up to the deck for their arrival at port soon.

She blushed when she realized her bindings were still laying in a heap on the floor where she had discarded them earlier. She pulled the sheets further up so they covered her breasts, embarrassed now that she was no longer nearly mad with lust.

_Hey, I really liked that view, _Zuko protested. Katara nearly fell off the bed in surprise as she hadn't realized he was awake. She fought the urge to try and cover herself further and throw her arm across her clearly hard nipples showing through the silken royal sheets.

_We don't have time for that, _she protested lightly, _I need to get dressed_. _We _both _do. _

_Get dressed then, _Zuko gestured towards the pile of clothing, a small amused smile on his face, _no one's stopping you. _Katara blushed harder at the thought of walking across the room half naked and getting dressed in front of Zuko, even though she had spent their nap laying her naked chest on his. Zuko let his amused grin drop for a moment as he caressed her back seriously.

_Are you not okay…with this? _He asked worriedly.

"No!" Katara protested out loud, "It's just…" _just what? _She wondered to herself. The problem was not that she didn't feel comfortable exposing herself to Zuko, quite the opposite really. And she had _loved _what they had done earlier, to be honest. The bond seemed to like it too, the warmth between them was charged like she had never felt before. This level of the bond allowed her thoughts to almost bleed into his, and thoughts came far easier than words. Her awareness of Zuko felt like it had veritably doubled, and if she concentrated hard enough she could almost _hear _his heartbeat.

_I think it will just take some getting used to, _her thoughts revealed before Katara really knew how she felt about it. The thought rang true though. Katara had never been naked in front of anyone except her mother and Gran-gran, and that hadn't been in years. It would take time to get used to sharing such an intimate part of herself. She snuggled contedly into her Prince's chest with that knowledge as he rubbed her back with his ever-warm hands.

_You were right about having to get dressed you know, _Zuko thought bemusedly, even as he wrapped his arms tight around her waist to bring her closer to him. _And you wanted to see if Aang wanted to go too, _he reminded her.

Katara sighed at the thought of getting up, but she knew Zuko was right. Besides, it was nearly evening, and once night fell she would be able to sleep next to Zuko again.

With this realization in mind, Katara snuggled into Zuko's hard chest one last time before throwing back the covers before she could lose her nerve. She felt Zuko still next to her as she got up and fought to keep her arms at her sides as she walked to the pile of clothing.

_I had a very...strange dream, _Zuko thought to her. She turned to him in surprise, still shirtless as they stared at each other for a moment while they both processed what had just happened.

_We don't need to be touching now! _Katara realized. Besides being a huge advantage in battle, she liked the thought of being able to communicate with Zuko at all times. _Though it might get kind of annoying sometimes...I wonder if there's any kind of range, _she thought to herself. Zuko climbed out of bed to wrap his arms around her and Katara sighed in delight. The feeling of the warmth of the bond being able to wrap around her without clothes in the way was bliss.

_Does it feel this way for you? _She asked Zuko as her head fell back against his chest. She tilted her chin up slightly to give him access to lay soft kisses on her neck. If her eyes had been open, she would've caught him smiling widely.

_Yes, _he paused, _it's almost…_

_Addicting, _Katara agreed. She felt her whole body flush even more as Zuko began scattering the kisses slowly on her collarbone. _Definitely addicting. _She frowned teasingly as the kisses stopped and Zuko spun her around, holding her chin in place to look her seriously in the eye.

"Would you ever…" _Would you ever want to try and...reverse it?_

Katara thought about that. _To be honest...I hadn't once thought of it. _She blushed. Zuko shrugged.

_Me neither...Don't you think that's weird?_

Katara frowned in thought. If she was being honest, _ever since I saw you in the cave...as soon as we touched...it felt_ー

"It felt right, like something you had been missing," Zuko finished. They stared at each other for a long moment, wishing they could just get back in bed and ignore everyone else. But that was impossible.

_We'll have to find out more and talk about my dream later_, he suggested, _it really is getting late. _

Katara looked reluctantly to the porthole to see that he was right; the sun was moving rapidly across the sky and starting to dip towards the horizon. She broke free of Zuko's hold to once again reach for her undergarments, but he stopped her before she could begin putting them on herself.

_Let me_, he suggested. Katara easily gave in at the chance to feel his hands on her body again, especially if they were to be separated once they reached the deck, so she handed him the garment, instructing him through their thoughts how to put it on her. _This feels so nice, _she couldn't help but tell Zuko with a blush. Katara was very used to doing things for herself and other people, constantly cooking and cleaning and picking up after the Gaang. It felt nice to just let Zuko take care of her, and he placed small kisses on her back and neck as he wound the garment around her. She melted into his arms until he finished with her bindings and turned to face him at the discontent she could suddenly sense from him.

_Your dress is destroyed, _he frowned, _I don't like seeing you wear rags. _

Katara bristled at the accusation that her Water Tribe outfit could be considered 'rags', but then she held her worn, blue dress out in front of her. The fabric was singed and ripped in several places, a few inches missing from the hemline and one of the sleeves. The fabric felt worn and rough against her skin. She sighed.

_They'll have to do for now, I can't wear your clothes in front of everyone, _she admitted reluctantly, even though that actually sounded like a very enticing idea. Katara pulled her blue tunic over her head to distract herself as Zuko pulled a shirt on himself.

"Listen," Zuko began, then he hesitated, _I know I haven't been part of the group for long and I don't know how you guys usually do things but this is a big thing we're hiding from them. _

Katara didn't respond for a moment, but she had been worrying about this for quite some time. Here on this huge, stolen ship, it was easy for her and Zuko to sleep in his room during the night and hide it. However, now that Aang had woken up it was only a matter of time until they were back to traveling and camping again, and there would be no way to hide her sleeping next to Zuko in tents and under the stars. She shuddered at the thought of going back to the cold emptiness the bond had been at the beginning of their journey on the ship.

In her mind, Aang's potential negative reaction was the biggest obstacle they needed to get around. _Sokka might be seriously angry, but at least _he _doesn't have access to the Avatar State!_ She planned on extorting Sokka not to tell their father because, as relaxed as Southern Water Tribe traditions might be compared to their sisters in the North, Hakoda would still likely not approve of a relationship between his daughter and the _Prince of the Fire Nation (_at least, not until she had more time to convince him)_, _especially if he knew of their bond and how it thrived on closeness.

Well, they wouldn't be able to stay on this ship forever. Appa hated being stuck at sea and the Warriors had a lot of preparing to do before the invasion. Her Father would no longer be an obstacle to her being with Zuko in the open. _We'll tell everyone when we split up, _Katara decided. Zuko's happiness at her answer rang through their newly strengthened bond, even if the reticent Firebender said nothing.

They had realized over the course of the last few weeks that the bond amplified existing emotions. Katara, a naturally caring person became even more caring and affectionate when it came to Zuko. On the other hand, the bond also amplified Zuko's existing possessiveness for his girlfriend ーnot that Katara was complaining. She _loved_ when Zuko pulled her aside to remind her just who she belonged to….

Katara blushed. She was getting distracted and Zuko was clearly liking the direction of her thoughts a little too much. She grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the door.

_I know, that one was my fault but we really do have to go. Do we agree on the plan? _

They both paused as they began heading into the more populated areas in the ship, looking at their joined hands. In mutual decision, they released their hands, then continued walking.

_I don't care what the plan is as long as we can still be close, _Zuko thought to her. It was nice to be able to talk about their bond without fear of being overheard or found out by holding hands.

They came to a stop in front of Aang's door where Toph and Sokka were already waiting.

"Thank the spirits you guys are _finally _here," Sokka said dramatically, "I'm starving!" The rest of the Gaang wisely refrained from responding as Toph pushed open the door to Aang's room without knocking.

"Look alive, Twinkletoes! We're going into town to find some dinner," Aang turned to face them as he clutched his stomach.

"Dinner does sound good," he said. Katara smiled at the fact that he was feeling well enough to eat.

"Great!" Sokka exclaimed, eager to get everyone moving so he could start eating. He handed a red headband with the Fire Nation insignia to the Avatar.

"What's this for?" Aang asked confusedly.

"Tie it around your head, it'll cover you arrows," Sokka instructed. Aang balked immediately.

"I'm not covering my arrows!" He protested. Sokka looked ready to go apoplectic and an equally hungry and angry Toph wasn't doing much better, so Katara stepped in.

"You guys go ahead, Aang and I will catch up," she said placatingly. Zuko dragged Toph and Sokka out of the room with a parting, _see you soon, _thought to Katara. Once she was alone with Aang, Katara sighed. She had a feeling this would be a hard conversation, especially considering what she was going to tell Aang about her feelings. This was the perfect opportunity, after all. Katara didn't know how much alone time they would have after they left the ship, and it was clear that would be soon if Aang was feeling well enough to eat and walk around. She needed to let Aang down gently and tell him the truth before she told anyone else.

She turned to face the younger boy with another deep sighーshe hated disappointing people.

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It was strange, with the bond now not restrained by touch, Zuko was forced to allow himself to get lost in thought so he didn't concentrate too much on what Katara was saying to Aang. He, Toph and Sokka were already in the marketplace, but the connection between them was as clear as it was when they were holding hands.

Of course, he also had to concentrate so the Waterbender didn't hear his thoughts about what he was going to buy for her at the market. _Things can never be easy for me, can they?_ For once, Zuko had some luck as Aang's moodiness and Katara's subsequent attempts to make him feel better worked perfectly for his plans, and he now had a good amount of time to split off and find a gift without Katara being there. He hadn't yet asked Toph to be part of his plan, but Sokka unknowingly worked to his favor as he immediately took his own coins and ran frantically between the different stalls, barely trying one food before he was buying the next. Zuko watched him for a moment in slight disgust, then turned to Toph.

"You've got something on your mind, Sparky," she observed as they began walking along the rows of stalls. Zuko scratched the back of his head uncomfortably.

"Yeah...I wanted to buy something nice for Katara. Do you want to help me look?" Toph stared at him for a few seconds waiting for the Prince to realize where he had gone wrong with that question. Zuko rolled his eyes.

"I know you can't see, you knew what I meant!" He turned up his nose. "I guess if you don't want to help I'll just do it myseー"

"Oh, don't get your panties in a bunch hotstuff," the Earthbender interrupted, pushing past him. "I think I sense some clothing stalls this way."

Zuko followed after her (towards a fruit stall, but he supposed Earthbending senses couldn't always be completely _accurate_) with a resigned sigh.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

The sun had long set by the time the Gaangーsans Aangーhad made it back to the ship. Katara had eventually joined them, but she was quiet and contemplative. Her conversation with Aang did not go as well as she had hoped, and he had refused to understand the importance of keeping his identity secret so he could live to fight another day. Furthermore, Katara hadn't even been able to tell him about her relationship with Zuko. The young Airbender was still stuck on the part where she wasn't attracted to him.

To be honest, the thought of being with Aang had never really crossed Katara's mind. Of course, it would be nice to date the _Avatar,_ and she _had_ been told she would marry a powerful bender, but Aang was just...so _young_. Katara was sure he would mature a lot, especially after the war if everything went well, but she had never wanted to wait around for that eventuality, especially now that she was bonded to Zuko. Now that she knew what the bond felt like, now that she was so close to her Prince he was like an extension of her own heart, the thought of being with anyone else was just all wrong. She belonged with Zuko, no one else.

As Katara walked down the halls to Aang's room to drop off his meal, she allowed her chi to flow and reach out, extending her awareness as she searched for Zuko within the ship walls. The increased power of the bond powered by her shirtless tryst with her bonded allowed her the control she hadn't had before. The bond felt like an extension of herself that she easily bent to her will without having to think too hard about how she actually did it. Zuko was blocking her from his thoughts somehow, and she couldn't have failed to notice the large shopping bags he had come back with. She hoped he hadn't bought _too_ much.

Finally, Katara stood in front of Aang's door. She knocked once to give him a second to turn her away, then opened the door, holding the tray in front of her like a peace offering. She immediately sensed something wrong.

The room was empty.

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Zuko lay in his bed waiting for Katara with an uncharacteristically large smile on his face. He thought he had made some _very_ good selections at the market, and even though Zuko was the one who had asked Toph to accompany him, he was very glad she couldn't see everything he was picking out. _It _is _quite nice to be able to pick out exactly what I want to see on her, _Zuko thought satisfiedly.

The smile dropped from his face as his bedroom door burst open, he could sense it was a worried Katara before she even crossed the threshold. She fell into his open arms as he immediately stood from the bed.

_Aang is gone_. The blood went ice cold in Zuko's veins as he heard those three words. Before the Gaang had left the market, they had been warned by the townspeople about a storm rolling in. The boat was already rocking heavily where it was docked in response to the suddenly volatile seas. Zuko could only rub Katara's back as it was like a damn broke. She vented her frustration at Aang's insistence of his attraction for her, and how he refused to see that he didn't need to do everything on his own. She confessed how scared she was that the Avatar wouldn't accept their relationship, and how much it would hurt her to hurt Aang but that she was willing to do it to be with Zuko. She cried for only a few minutes, but to Zuko, standing there with the upset Waterbender in his arms, it felt like hours as he cursed the Avatar for being selfish and immature and upsetting Katara to the point of breakdown. He sighed as her tears finally slowed, then stopped.

_We'll just have to look for him, _thought Zuko determinedly. He didn't join Team Avatar for the Avatar himself to drown in a storm because of his own stupid sense of self-righteousness. He gently pushed Katara away slightly so he could look in her eyes. He kissed her deeply.

_Everything will be fine. Go pack, I have a feeling we won't be coming back here. _

Being given a goal seemed to rejuvenate the Waterbender slightly as she wiped her face and squared her shoulders. She gave him one last kiss before turning, presumably to pack and tell the others about their imminent departure. Once she had disappeared, Zuko looked around the room with a sigh. One of the outfits he had picked for Katara would've looked so good on her tan skin against the silky red sheets….

_Focus, _he thought to himself. First, they would find the wayward Avatar. Then, he would ravish Katara.

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Flying low above the water with his glider, Aang could barely hear the roar of the sea over his own pained thoughts. His lightning wound burned as though he had just gotten it with the strain of holding his body taught so he could fly. His thoughts swirled chaotically around his head, and he struggled to keep the pain at bay so he could focus.

Aang like to run from his problems. He could admit that, it suited him and his element. Dodging was the perfect tactic for someone so small and light, and he had learned that lesson quickly as he mastered air. In a situation like this, however, he liked to think he was running _to _his problems, not away from them.

_Well, most of them, _he thought to himself, thinking of Katara. If Aang was honest, he had loved Katara since the moment he opened his eyes and looked into her blue ones. She cared about him like no one else had, and believed in him unconditionally. She made him so happy, why couldn't she be happy with him?

His train of thought was cut off as the strain on his body finally proved too much and it crumpled without his consent. The moment he hit the cold and turbulent water it tried to pull him down as he fought upwards for air, holding onto his glider for dear life. His skinny arms finally found purchase on a piece of drift board as tears ran down his face, missing with the salty water and remaining unseen in the darkness.

_No wonder Katara doesn't like me. I'm a failure, _Aang thought strain of trying to save the world before he had really gotten a chance to experience it threatened to suffocate him. He drowned in his thoughts for some time, until a blinding white light burst from the clouds and shined down on his face. Aang squinted for some time as the ethereal face and white hair of the moon spirit slowly came into focus.

"Yue," he breathed feeling unimaginable guilt as he looked into her eyes and remembered her sacrifice, "I'm so sorry."

_Do not be sorry, Avatar, _the spirit said gently as she floated in her pocket of light. _As Avatar, you possess the world's greatest gift, and that always comes with the world's biggest burden. It is easy to lose oneself, to selfishly want the world for one's own benefit. Do not fall prey to these thoughts, young Avatar, and never give up hope. _

Aang floated on his drift board haven for some time as he contemplated Yue's words. Was he being selfish running away from his friends and making them worry for a fight he couldn't win in his condition?

Was he being selfish wanting Katara?

"I won't give up!" He decided. Aang didn't know the answer to his questions, but he knew he wouldn't find them in the middle of the ocean. He climbed onto the drift board, using it as a makeshift surfboard and propelling himself forward with Airbending.

That is, until a large wave swept over him, taking him under.

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**Author's Note: **How are we liking these POV switches? I'm not the biggest fan of Aang's departure in the show, though I like the parallel between him and Zuko and I like that it showcases his immature side. But this exact immature side is why I'm so opposed to Katara and Aang together.

We won't see much more of Aang POV, I'd imagine, though I can never be sure ;). In all seriousness though, we know how these episodes go. We know what the characters do. There is no need to re-do everything we see in the show because that would definitely bore me. Instead, I want to look at things we didn't see (like the trip to the market) and change (and maybe diverge from) canon to reflect Zuko and Katara's relationship as it is here.


	13. Chapter 13

Katara yawned widely as her eyes threatened to close in exhaustion again. It had been a long night searching for Aang on the choppy sea, the whole group relying largely on Katara's Waterbending to keep the majority of the storm at bay in their little bubble. She was exhausted and, to her horror, she could feel the tell-tale cold emptiness of the bond setting in as she used the last of her reserves to simply stay awake and keep her eyes open and focused on the endless blue expanse below. She could feel Zuko's eyes on her in concern and she reached out to squeeze his hand while Sokka wasn't looking before refocusing on the seemingly endless ocean. First, they needed to find Aang. Then she could address her own fatigue.

"There!" Toph suddenly yelled. The whole group perked up, then turned to look at her accusatorily. Katara sighed, then sat up straight at the glint of orange she had glimpsed on one of the beaches below.

"Hold on, Toph may be onto something!" Katara exclaimed as she ripped the reins from Sokka to steer the Air Bison to the island she had seen. As they landed in the surf, the figure in orange moved slightly with a groan.

"Aang!" Katara yelled jubilantly as she rushed off of Appa's saddle to throw her arms around his skinny frame. The rest of the Gaang followed, even Zuko patting Aang's back hesitantly, but gratefully. He was feeling Katara's exhaustion as well, the circles under his eyes dark and his skin pale, his brow furrowed with general annoyance.

After their teary reunion, Aang gently pushed Katara away.

"I have a lot to do," he began, "but I know I'll have all of your help to do it."

Sokka clapped the Avatar hard on the back, "Glad you finally realize that buddy. We'll meet up with Dad and the invasion force the day of the Eclipse."

"Yeah, don't think you can get out of training just because we're in the Fire Nation," Toph interjected, punching the Airbender in the shoulder. Aang smiled around at all of his friends, his smile dropping when he turned to Katara.

"Yeah...Katara, can I talk to you for a second?" Aang asked timidly. Sokka waved him away before Katara got a chance to respond.

"Aang, you'll be happy to know that you can have exactly 127 seconds according to the schedule," he said, examining a complicated looking scroll. Katara glared at her brother, then turned to smile encouragingly at Aang. The fact that his face was pinched in pain and his burn stood out, red and inflamed looking through a tear in his tunic gave her pause though.

"Aang! You need a healing session. We can talk later," Katara said determinedly, despite the pressing coldness and exhaustion that threatened to overtake her. As she grabbed Aang's hand to get him to lay down, she could feel Zuko's concern.

_Katara, _he started hesitantly. _I'm not sure you should be doing this right now. I'm already loaning you my energy as it is. _Katara frowned at him in her thoughts as she began to draw water from her skin. She had felt the extra tingling energy from the bond dwindle throughout the night, and now turning her senses inward revealed that all that energy had been long depleted. Still, Aang needed help. _It won't take long. _

_Katara, _Zuko tried again. She ignored him determinedly, just a little healing and then she would rest, she only needed a little more….

"Katara," Zuko said insistently, out loud this time. The rest of the Gaang stared at him.

"She's exhausted!" Zuko defended his outburst.

"How do you know that?" Sokka asked suspiciously. Toph just rolled her eyes, and Aang looked concernedly at the Waterbender leaning over him. "Katara?"

"Quiet! I'm trying to concentrate!" Katara yelled in frustration as she tried and failed to get the water covering her hands to turn its signature blue. She was shivering violently now, despite the fact that they were on a sweltering hot volcanic island in the Fire Nation. Her vision was starting to blur. Finally, the blue light almost flickered on…

Just as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell to the ground unconscious.

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Zuko grunted quietly as Katara passed out. Unlike when she was simply sleeping, the usually strong connection between them felt cold and tenuous. Zuko supposed it was probably a reflection of the bond, which had been getting stronger and stronger the closer they got and had now gone without being charged in its usual way all night as Katara exerted herself and dipped into the reserves. He shifted uncomfortably in his spot, feeling even more drained than before and almost naked without Katara buzzing on the edge of his senses.

The Gaang was trapped in a state of shock for a moment, then panic began to set in.

"Katara!" Aang yelled, jumping up and forgetting his pain in favor of listening at Katara's mouth to make sure she was still breathing. Toph's milky gray eyes conveyed her worry as she spoke up.

"I can hear her heartbeat, but it's kind of slow and weak," she said uncertainly. Unseen by the others, Toph looked to Zuko. Though she knew of their relationship, she had no idea about the full extent of their connection, but she was worried about Katara and thought Zuko might know more than he was letting on. Zuko ignored her for a second in favor of making his way over to Katara, interrupting Sokka in the process of collecting water to splash on his sister's face.

Sokka sputtered indignantly as Zuko sat down next to Katara in his place, taking her hand.

"Hey! What are you doing to my sister?" He yelled, looking ready to lunge at the Firebender in his desperation. As Zuko readied himself for the blow, an unlikely voice jumped to his defense.

"Sokka, let's listen to what Zuko has to say. Getting Katara feeling better should be our number one priority, no matter how it gets done."

It was Aang. Zuko looked at the younger boy in surprise and Aang shrugged in response.

"It was something Yue said last night, after I ran away," the Airbender said with his head down, "she basically told me not to let my selfishness prevent me from seeing the world as it truly is." The younger boy looked to Zuko, and the Prince felt like his grey-blue eyes were seeing right through him. In all their time on the boat, this hadn't happened before, and the Firebender had a small moment of panic. _What if it's permanent? _The worried eyes of the Gaang tracked him as he struggled to get his breathing under control. _Now I know how Katara feels all the time. _

There was nothing else he could do except follow the rules of the bond as the pair had parsed out so far, so he took Katara's other hand in his to try and increase the flow of energy between them so she could wake up and help him explain this mess. Kissing would be the best way to accomplish this (well, the best way that was safe to do in front of the others), but Zuko didn't want to push his luck with Sokka any further.

Luckily, Katara seemed to be stirring. Sokka clearly wanted to shout something, but couldn't because Toph had gagged him Dai Li style. Aang was uncharacteristically quiet and contemplative as they all watched Katara begin to slowly wake up under Zuko's ministrations.

She was clearly confused with her surroundings when she first opened her eyes, but relaxed upon seeing Zuko's face hovering over her. Zuko sighed at the feeling of Katara's thoughts sliding against his once again, the relief of the bond buzzing between them. He completely forgot about their audience as he caressed her cheek and gently brushed some sand out of her hair, and she leaned into his warm hand.

_You scared me, _he admonished, _I warned you. _Katara gave him a weak smile, and Zuko smiled widely in return, so relieved to see her.

_I promise, I'll listen next time. I don't want to feel like this ever again. _

Their conversation was interrupted by throat clearing. They bonded pair turned to see Sokka with his arms crossed in a clear display of unhappiness at the closeness of the pair, his anger overtaking his worry now that his sister was awake and out of immediate danger. Aang remained quiet, his gaze focused on where Zuko's hand rested on Katara's cheek. Toph simply punched Katara's shoulder. Hard.

"Nice to have you back Sugar Queen, it was a little too quiet around here without your nagging."

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Katara rolled her eyes. She knew this was as close as Toph would get to saying she was worried and cared, so Katara decided to appreciate it for what it was.

She looked to Zuko again. _I feel like I can't get close enough, _she admitted to him. Passing out felt like the time they had denied the bond the whole day, except the cold emptiness took on a life of its own, surrounding her on all sides until it simply suffocated her own inner light, stopped the flow of her chi and she couldn't find her way out of the endless sea of cold. She shivered in remembered agony, gripping Zuko's hands a little bit tighter.

He wrapped his arms around her consolingly as the others一sans Toph一 looked on in disbelief. _At least we know what happens if we deny the bond for too long now, _he pointed out. She tried to follow his lead and look on the bright side. The expectant faces of the Gaang were making that hard, however.

"Okay, enough cuddling!" Sokka yelled, finally having prised off his gag. He looked at Katara in slight betrayal. "Why didn't you guys tell us you were dating?"

Katara winced at the hurt expression on her brother's face. Zuko, sensing her obvious discomfort and lingering exhaustion, decided to interject.

"We didn't tell you because it is...considerably more complicated than that."

It was like a dam broke as Zuko and Katara took turns explaining all they knew about the bond and what had been happening on the ship (up to but _not_ including their topless foray), and they finally told the whole Gaang what had transpired between them while trapped in the Crystal Catacombs beneath Ba Sing Se.

Katara hadn't realized how much it had been bothering her keeping such a large part of her life from people she shared everything with, but now that she had told the truth, it felt like a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

As they finally finished their story, the Gaang sat silent. Toph had known about their relationship, but the bond was news to her. Sokka was still in disbelief that his baby sister had slept next to someone and Aang was...still silent. _At least he doesn't look _too _upset, _Katara thought to herself.

_He mentioned a vision from Yue while you were passed out, _Zuko thought to her. Katara looked at him questioningly as he 'replayed' his memory for her.

"Wait!" Sokka yelled, "If you guys can read each other's thoughts, is that what you're doing right now?!" He pointed his finger at them accusingly. Zuko returned his glare coolly as Katara blushed.

"We do that now so just一just get used to it! Because I definitely am...used to it." Katara snapped at her brother, then crossed her arms and looked away to cover her embarrassment.

Sokka rolled his eyes, "Right...I'm sure you are." He shook his head in confusion. "This bond thing is just...just weird! And did it have to be a Firebender, let alone the _Prince _of Firebenders?! And do you _really _expect me to believe you guys 'need' to sleep next to each other? What kind of excuse is that?!"

Katara glared at the idiot also known as Sokka as Toph chimed in.

"Why'd you pass out anyway, Sugar Queen?" The Earthbender asked. "Your heartbeat was really slow too, it was weird."

Katara frowned in thought as she tried to find a way to explain the way the emptiness inside her had snuffed out a light and it had felt like she would never see Zuko again, never feel his warmth again. She settled for a less complicated and angsty explanation.

"Ever since," Katara paused to look to Zuko for confirmation, "Yeah, ever since we first touched in the caves, this connection is always flowing between us. We 'charge' it by touching and our chi," she again glanced at Zuko, "it kind of..._reacts_ to the others and creates this energy between us. The more energy it has, the more we are able to charge it, the more we benefit, like being able to speak in our thoughts without touching or going longer periods of time without touching," Katara paused as Zuko took up her train of thought.

"_That's_ why we started sleeping next to each other," Zuko explained, glaring at Sokka, "Yue gave Katara some vague advice, but we realized sleeping next to each other gave the bond more time to charge because it kept the connection open for a longer period of time and strengthened it, creating enough energy that some spilled over into a kind of reserve. Katara had used up her own energy and our reserves and was reaching into mine just to stay upright," he said while glaring at Katara in memory of her stubbornness, "My chi couldn't support the strain, someone had to stay awake though." Toph nodded thoughtfully while Sokka appeared too surprised by them finishing each other's sentences to say much. Aang broke his contemplative silence as he looked towards the bonded couple resignedly.

"Is it really that bad when you guys don't touch?"

Katara flinched at his tone. She really hated disappointing people, Aang most of all. His question betrayed the small hope the Airbender held that he and Katara could be together, that perhaps the side effects of not touching Zuko were negligible and Katara might still 'defect' to the Avatar's side. Zuko clearly heard the hopefulness in the younger boy's voice as well and he tensed in jealousy and possessiveness at the thought of Katara being with anyone else. _Zuko, you know there's no competition. _

He snorted. _Doesn't mean I have to like him looking at you like that. _

She mentally rolled her eyes at his petty jealousy and turned back to Aang. _How can I put this lightly?_

_And CLEARLY, _Zuko interjected. She glared at him this time before she smiled at Aang. As much as Zuko's delivery left a lot to be desired, and as much as she barely understood it herself, she needed to make it as clear as she could to Aang and her brother exactly how much she was affected by their connection.

"Our bond isn't the only reason I want to be with Zuko, though it is a big reason," Katara began firmly, "but yes, it is that bad. Try to imagine all the happiness and light in the world has disappeared, and you can't get warm. I would wear a parka all day on the boat, even though I was working in this heat, and I still couldn't get warm." The events of the day began to catch up with Katara as a tear slid down her cheek. She paused, taking comfort in the feeling of Zuko rubbing her cold hands in his warm ones, then took a shaky deep breath as she continued, "The worst part is the feeling of loneliness and fear that you can't escape. My Waterbending weakens and I feel powerless. When I passed out…", she licked her lips, "it felt like I was being suffocated by cold and darkness. It was terrifying."

She fell silent as Zuko continued to hold her hand, the comforting buzzing of the bond between them slowly pulling her out of her melancholy mood. Katara promised herself she wouldn't subject herself to a feeling like that ever again. As she and Zuko recovered, their friends sat silent and contemplative, and the Gaang was quiet, absorbing information there for some time until Sokka stood with a sigh.

"Well, we should get moving. I'm hungry and there's no way there's any meat around here!" He gestured at the rocky, barren shore surrounding them to emphasize his point. Katara sighed in relief. Even though Sokka had not directly addressed her relationship (that wasn't really his way), he had talked about food again, which meant everything was back to normal.

_Well, maybe not, _she thought sadly as she looked at Aang. Her friend still looked to be in pain, which made sense considering Katara hadn't stayed awake long enough to actually heal his wound, but there seemed to be emotional pain too as his gray eyes took in the bonded pairs' joined hands. Katara looked away, she didn't want to take on Aang's feelings right now一her own were trouble enough. She followed Zuko complacently, slightly in a daze as he led her by the hand back to Appa, lifting her into the saddle before she could protest and settling in the back corner with his heavy, warm arm slung around her shoulders.

The rest of the Gaang followed suit, still mostly silent. Aang relaxed on the opposite side of the saddle as Sokka confidently took the reins, once again holding his complicated looking scroll schedule and a map of the Fire Nation.

"Okay, we really cut into the schedule with the Yin and Yang dramatics over here, but I think I can get us back on track _and _have time to stop for Fire Flakes! Isn't that great?!" He turned excitedly towards the rest of the group, only to be met with 3 blank stares and for Aang to not even look up. The warrior smiled uncomfortably as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Righhhtt…" He said, "less talking, more flying. I can do that." As promised, he flicked the reins to get Appa to begin his ascent, the Sky Bison grumbling with excitement to finally have Aang back and be flying again.

Now that they were in the air, Katara allowed herself to relax as her head fell against Zuko's shoulder. The sun beating down made her comfortably warm and, before she knew it, her head dipped in slumber.

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Zuko shifted slightly, uncomfortable after hours of sitting with Katara slumped against his side, but he didn't dare move too much and accidentally wake her up. It was late in the day now, but not quite evening as they flew over the many islands that made up the Fire Nation looking for a spot to land that would have a market where they could buy food. Sokka was in his own world at the reins, keeping careful track of where they were on the map as he tried to choose a good landing spot. Toph had long since fallen asleep against his other shoulder, but Zuko was far too warm in the bright sun and trapped between the two girls to join them in slumber.

He was surprised the Avatar had not fallen asleep after his long night either. The monk sat quietly, moving little so as to not agitate his wound while he stared silently into the distance. Zuko hoped he wasn't continuing to pine over Katara. While Zuko was sure Aang was upset, he _was _a 12 year old boy. He had his whole life ahead of himーtoo much life to get caught up in a crush. _Especially when his crush is taken and has made it clear, _a small part of his mind thought darkly.

As though the Avatar could hear Zuko's less than positive thoughts, he turned to glare at the Prince. Zuko stared passively back at him, and the two were locked in a staring competition until the Avatar spoke.

"Katara said you guys aren't together just because of the….connection between you. Is that true for you too?" He asked, his tone full of accusations and hurt. Zuko sighed, and instead of answering his question, he responded with one of his own.

"Can you imagine knowing someone who could read your thoughts before you speak them out loud? Someone who knew your favorite color or what you wanted for dinner without having to ask?" Aang was silent, and Zuko continued, softening his glare as he looked at the Airbender with his good eye.

"This connection we share...I have no idea idea why the spirits gifted us, gifted _me, _with such a power," he shrugged helplessly. "I've never heard of anything like this before, and then it just springs up out of nowhere with someone I considered my enemy!" He cleared his throat, working to lower his voice again. "Right from the start, it became the best part of my life. And yet, I thought the same thing at first," the Firebender admitted, "I thought Katara only wanted to spend time with me because of the bond. How she could stand to be around me, to even _look_ at me," he spat, gesturing vaguely at his scar, "I had no idea. But you know what?" He asked with a half smile, "I didn't even need to say those insecurities out loud. She heard my thoughts and just..._laughed _at me." He looked fondly to the Waterbender at his side.

"What did she say after that?" Aang asked, his tone civil and filled with interest despite his sadness at his rejection. Zuko gave a short, huffing laugh.

"She said 'Of course we don't have to be together, silly! But why would we be with anyone else?" Zuko smiled softly at the memory as Aang looked down, properly chastened.

"So you don't have to be togetherー"

"But we are," Aang was interrupted by Katara, who had finally woken from her nap, unnoticed by the boys, "and being with anyone else could never compare." Zuko blinked, despite himself.

_That was kind of harsh baby, _he noted, the endearment he had only heard a few times before slipping off his tongue before he could stop it. Katara blushed in response, then rushed to hide her embarrassment as Aang slumped once again in disappointment and she stretched to pat his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Aang, I didn't want to let you down, and I was scared of telling you about us for a long time because of that," she admitted. "But I don't want to hide anymore. I'm happy with Zuko. I _need _Zuko. And I don't want anyone else _but _Zuko."

Zuko's chest threatened explosion it was so puffed out with pride. Logically, he knew the younger boy was no threat to their relationship, even if he couldn't tell through Katara's thoughts, the age difference between them alone was enough to mostly disregard the other boy. However, Zuko's insecurities couldn't help but rear their ugly heads. He had never been good enough for anyone except his Mother and Uncle. He still found it hard to believe that someone who had been his enemy would show him so much unconditional affection and acceptance. Unseen by Aang, Katara projected a gentle smile at him through the bond.

_You're stuck with me now Zuko, I hope you know that. _

He did know that, but he smiled brilliantly at her anyways, uncaring of the Avatar's confused glare. She turned to smile at him, placing a small kiss on his cheek. The bond tingled softly, almost fully recharged from their nap, but still needing a little more closeness if it was to be at full strength. Aang sighed as he watched them interact with each other.

"Yue said I was being selfish, and I think I know what she meant now," he looked at his hands ashamedly. "It would be wrong of me to be mad at you for finding your own happiness, _both_ of your happiness," he said looking at Zuko, "even if it's not with me," he finished resignedly.

"Great, I'm glad you realized that Twinkletoes," Toph's sarcastic, still slightly sleepy voice cut through the tension and Aang's melancholy mood. "When are we getting off this thing and back on solid ground?!" She yelled to Sokka. "My toes are itching for some dirt!"

Aang smiled cautiously as Sokka gestured at them furiously, once again forgetting Toph couldn't see him.

"Shhh!" He mock whispered. "We're in _enemy _territory now. Anyone could be listening!"

There was silence as everyone sans Toph looked in unison at the deserted, craggy shore.

"Uhh, Sokka," Aang ventured, "it doesn't look like anyone's here."

"That's what the enemy _wants you to think!" _He exploded, stabbing a finger at them. Another silence.

"Righhht" Zuko said disbelievingly as he looked around, then he snatched the map right out of Sokka's hands.

"Hey!" Sokka yelled indignantly, then pouted as Katara glared him into submission. Meanwhile, Zuko has successfully located where they were and provided the rest of the Gaang with some context.

"There won't be anyone on this side of the island," he said confidently. "This place is called Qiánshào, or the outpost. It used to be the furthest point of the Fire Nation before we started seizing the first colonies," he winced slightly at that thought, but soldiered on. "The town was founded on the other side of this mountain area for the best defense against land invasion and to force any navy approaching from the east to circumnavigate the island in order to attack, giving the town plenty of time to prepare."

Sokka whistled softly, "Man, your people really know how to do war!" He then winced as Katara elbowed him for his insensitivity. "What?! It was a compliment! Now can you make with the magic water stuff and give us some cover so we can land, or do you need to make out with the angry guy before you can manage it?" Toph snickered along with Sokka as Katara huffed and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Let's see if you're laughing like that the next time you're hungry and want _someone _to make you dinner," she huffed. Only Zuko was privy to the image created by her mentally sticking her tongue out at him as she gathered water to begin to create a cloud and Sokka fell to his knees, begging her forgiveness as Appa leisurely made his way to shore.

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_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

**Author's Note:**** EDITED! I've been slowly working my way through the original chapters because the (poor) quality was giving me the worst writer's block. Hopefully, new chapters will be coming soon. Original Author's note follows.**

I think we'll leave it there for now folks. This chapter was kind of hard to write because it takes place in another break in the show. We don't get to see how the Gaang located Aang or how they found the cave, and we definitely don't get to know the name of the island, so I hope you enjoy the back story there. I used a map I found online to get a better picture of how they were traveling, link to the map: https: (slash) (slash) (slash) a (slash) iO8zgMx

Hope the confrontation between Aang and Zuko wasn't too OOC. Zuko is secure in his relationship, Aang can physically see in front of him how much Katara and Zuko are meant to be together and was basically warned off by a spirit, neither of them have too many reasons to be angry.

I'm slowly running out of my previously written chapters, so don't be surprised if the updates start to slow a little. Hopefully everything should go well though, because I really want to know how this story will turn out. I don't have a plan, so I'm along for the ride with you.


	14. Chapter 14

Katara groaned lightly as she slowly woke from her sleep on the cold stone floor of the cave. Her back protested at any kind of movement as she lifted her head from where it had been pillowed on Zuko's chest to stretch.

_Maybe I got a little spoiled sleeping in the Royal Chambers, _she mused while she looked around their 'room'. They had found a nice sized cave not far from where they landed and Sokka had declared this would be their 'base' for the time being. Luckily, the cave had several different sections, and Zuko and Katara had quickly claimed one of the more private sections as their own, enlisting Toph to create a kind of door so they could have even more privacy. Sokka had not been happy about it, still not wanting his sister to sleep next to Zuko (and ostensibly wanting them all to sleep in the main room in case they were attacked), but Aang acted quickly in their defense, distracting Sokka with an offer to Earthbend private rooms for everyone and close off the cave at night so there was no danger of attack, and Sokka was quickly overruled.

They had decided to venture out in the morning when they had more time to find suitable Fire Nation outfits (all of them stuck out in their clothing from assorted nations except Zuko), and after Katara had finally had that healing session with Aang and they had tucked into their meagre dinner of rice Katara had thought to bring from the ship, they all retired early. She figured they should get an early start if the Gaang wanted to get disguises and breakfast, so she turned to her bonded to wake him up only to find his golden eyes already staring back at her.

_I didn't know you were awake, _she thought to him as he kissed her forehead in greeting. Katara smiled; sleepy morning Zuko was the most affectionate Zuko.

_I rise with the dawn, _he reminded her, _though I have been getting up later and later recently, _he flicked her nose gently as he teased her about her love of waking up late and her annoyance when Zuko left her alone in bed and abandoned his post of human pillow.

_I don't know if I'm ready for the day, _Katara groaned mentally as she snuggled back into Zuko's warm side. As glad as she finally was to have their relationship out in the open, she was weary of facing the accusatory looks from Sokka and the suggestive ones from Toph that were sure to come when they finally emerged from their room to face everyone.

_Yeah, but if you don't get up, you'll never get to know my surprise for you, _Zuko teased. Katara tried and failed to get a hint of what the surprise was in his thoughts, opening her mind further to let his thoughts in, but they were almost...muffled.

_You'll have to show me how to do that so I can surprise you one day, _she said in defeat as she got up and began stretching. They really did need to get a move on and both Toph and Sokka would probably need to be woken up and bribed out of bed with the promise of food before they would be able to accomplish anything. She sighed at the thought, mentally rolling up her sleeves to prepare herself when Zuko interrupted her train of thought.

_How about I wake them up and you get started on breakfast?, _he suggested. Katara paused- even after weeks of Zuko doing his best to help out and reduce the burden that fell on her, she hadn't gotten used to being able to split her responsibility with the Prince. _Well, I guess he is much nicer and more helpful to me than anyone else, _she thought bemusedly.

"Thanks," she said out loud to try and convey her gratefulness. Zuko simply smirked in reply as he got out of the bed to grab her possessively by the waist and kiss her neck. He grinned when she gasped in surprise and pleasure, then smirked as she sighed in disappointment when he pulled away from her again to move to a darker corner of the cave where Katara knew he had stored his things. He rummaged through them for a bit with his back to her as she began to change out of her sleeping clothes to contain her curiosity. As she pulled Zuko's tunic off her body over her head and leaned down to reach for her bindings, she felt Zuko's warm breath on her back as he walked up behind her and placed open mouth kisses directly on her spine. Katara shivered as he stopped kissing her to stand and take her hand, forcing her to spin and face him.

Katara blushed to be facing Zuko shirtless again, taking her time to memorize his body and distract herself from his intense gaze. He was chiseled from Firebending and living on the run, and Katara kept catching herself examining the defined 'V' of his waistline, wondering where it lead to. Their connection floated on the edge of her consciousness, increasing her need to reach out and run her fingers along his pale skin. The warm, buzzing power between them that she had been feeling for the past 2 days had softened, a sign of their shrinking reserves, she assumed. They hadn't seemed to lose their ability to speak in their thoughts without touching, but maybe that might happen if they didn't get a chance for some more physical intimacy soon.

Of course, the bond wasn't the only reason Katara was craving physical intimacy, but she didn't think herself ready to explore those thoughts this early in the morning.

While she had been thinking, Zuko had been staring at her unabashedly. He leaned forward to kiss her neck once more as he pressed fabric into her hands.

_I bought you some things, _he began, his thoughts tinged with nervousness, _and this is the first that I think would be good for today. _

Kataras smiled up at him as she pushed lightly on her Prince's chest to get him to back up slightly and give her space to look at what he had put in her hand. She realized there were several different garments, so she knelt down to carefully spread the delicate pieces out on her sleeping roll.

_I've never felt fabric like this before, _she mused as she ran her fingers over the delicate designs done in red and embroidered with black and gold.

_It's called lace, _Zuko said carefully, not able to tell by her tone if she liked the gifts or not. To be honest, Katara only recognized three things: a red, silken cropped top, skirt and leggings made out of matching, gold embroidered fabric. The other two pieces of clothing were small and oddly pieced together...triangles basically. There were two triangles sewn onto a thick band with thinner pieces of fabric connecting the tops of the triangles to the band as well. The other was a large triangle that was slightly smaller in the front than in the back. Katara tried to reassure Zuko of how much she liked the clothing and Zuko easily picked up on the confusion on the edge of her thoughts.

_Women in high society wear these under their clothing instead of bindings, _he explained, repeating what the merchant had told him of the garments when he had inquired about them in the market, _they're more comfortable and don't cause so much...compression. _

Katara blushed at the leering grin on Zuko's face. No doubt he was looking forward to seeing her chest without the constricting bindings on. Katara looked doubtfully at the two small garments.

_Will it really...work? _She tried to keep the sceptical tone from her thoughts. Zuko eagerly scooped up both garments from the sleeping roll and grabbed her once more, this time gripping her hips and dipping his finger shallowly below the waistband of her bindings, feeling around for the frayed end of wrap that was tucked into the waistband to keep everything from unraveling. He suddenly halted his progress to look her in the eyes, silently asking for permission.

_I'll show you, if you want. _Katara felt her whole body flush with heat and embarrassment at Zuko's suggestion and the placement of his hands. Any other time with any other person, the reasonable side of her personality would be hitting the brakes. No one had ever seen that part of her really. To think that Zuko might see _all _of her was kind of overwhelming. But another, larger part of her trusted Zuko and actually _wanted _him to see her. _How good would the bond feel? _She wondered_. How good will it feel when we actually have _sex?

With Zuko, it always felt like there was no holding back, like they were already so connected on so many levels that it would always be this way. It made it easy to forget that they had ever been apart, that they had actually been _enemies_. He knew her so well now that a large part of her was actually feeling impatient at how he might put that knowledge to good use.

That part of Katara was already nodding her head at Zuko, and he immediately took action now that he had her permission to continue. He knelt behind her to slowly unwind the white wrappings, having to go back and forth between her legs to do so, and she spread her legs obligingly as he placed a single kiss on her lower back. Katara's whole body felt so warm, yet she shivered as she felt more and more air on her thighs as Zuko worked quickly to reveal all of her smooth, tan skin. He uncovered a faint tattoo near the top of her thigh and ran his tongue slowly over it in question.

_What's this? _Katara shuddered as she tried to focus on something other than the feeling of Zuko's tongue tickling her skin.

_When I became a Master Waterbender at the Northern Water Tribe, I was given a ceremonial tattoo_, she gasped as Zuko purposefully brushed his hand against her core while he continued unwinding the garment.

_I like it, _he grinned as he moved around on his knees to face her. Katara moaned lightly when he dipped his tongue into her belly button teasingly, and was thus distracted as he finally unwound the rest of her binding and knelt staring at her moist core.

Katara blushed, the Firebender's warm breath feeling scaldingly hot between her legs. Everywhere his hands touched, the bond was practically singing, the warmth wrapping around her on all sides with comfort and pleasure. _I feel...so hot, _she struggled to think clearly as the pleasure of the bond bubbled up in her chest, overwhelming her with need. She embarrassingly bucked her hips as she moaned. Zuko looked up at her in surprise and not a small amount of smugness.

_Can I touch you? _He ghosted his fingers over her ass as his other hand slid over her mound, teasingly avoiding that sensitive spot he had rubbed back on the ship. Katara wondered at his question.

_Please, _she begged, not sure what she was begging for, but confident in the knowledge that Zuko knew, her mind focusing singly on her need to be closer to him. Katara's legs shook with the effort of preventing them from rubbing together to try and get some relief, and she shifted uncomfortably as moistness began to coat her thighs. She was so lost in her overwhelming thoughts that she was taken completely by surprise when Zuko forced her legs apart with his left hand while he abruptly pushed a finger into her with his right.

_Oh! _Katara gasped at the intrusion as Zuko purposefully wriggled and curled the finger inside her. The bond was buzzing so hot it almost burned at the point where Zuko had his finger sunken inside of her. As the slight pain at the unfamiliar intrusion began to subside, her legs shook with pleasure this time as her body tried to drive itself down onto the Firebender's finger almost against her will, searching for more.

"Zuko!" She gasped out loud, all thoughts flying out of her head except for his name and the sensation of his finger driving into her. Katara's head fell back, her hair tickling the top of her ass as Zuko added another long, thin finger beside the other one. Once again, there was a slight pain, but she was so wet at this point that his fingers slotted into her easily, and Katara could clearly feel him curling and scissoring them inside her as he set a torturously slow pace. The knowledge almost caused her to become undone as her hips bucked down on his fingers that brushed a sensitive spot deep inside of her, and she once again cried out his name.

"Zuko, _please!" _she begged. She clenched her toes as she rolled her hips on his fingers as he looked up to grin at her, staring right into her blue eyes as he added another digit. Any pain Katara felt at the slight stretch disappeared as he leaned forward, put his lips around that pleasurable bud and _sucked, _ all while curling his three long fingers inside of her.

Katara immediately climaxed hard, and the pleasure of her orgasm continued on as Zuko continued pumping his fingers inside of her and the waves of sensation bounced across the bond. Her mouth was open, but no sound escaped her lips as her eyes clamped shut against the onslaught. She shuddered again as she practically dripped onto Zuko's hand.

The Prince had not looked away from her the whole time. _I liked that look on your face...I loved the way you called my name_, Zuko admitted, his thoughts filled with wonder and smugness. She smiled bashfully at the ceiling, eyes still closed.

Zuko continued watching Katara as her breathing slowly evened out and blue eyes fluttered open to stare into his gold ones. He observed her carefully as he teasingly wriggled his now soaked fingers in her pussy, then yanked his fingers out without warning, leaving her gasping as he stood to grab a towel and dampen it in the small basin she had set up last night.

Katara blushed as Zuko knelt before her with the moistened towel. _Do you...do people usually put their mouths on girls'...? _Her question trailed off when Zuko raised an eyebrow at her, but she saw through his bravado as a slight blush showed on his cheeks.

_There are a lot of different ways to give pleasure, but not every man will want to do that, _he explained as he gently and attentively cleaned her skin, leaving soft kisses on the cold path of the cloth against the inside of her thighs.

_Oh, _Katara thought, embarrassed but oddly proud that the Prince would do something like that just to please her. She quickly forgot her embarrassment as Zuko continued his ministrations. _You can have whatever you want and call it whatever you want if you keep treating me like this, _Katara sighed. It still felt strange to be so open and bared to another person, but he was being so caring and considerate and doing his best to make her comfortable, and that knowledge only made her admire the Firebender even more. Finally, Zuko seemed to deem her clean enough and swiped his tongue over her inner thigh one last time before he pulled away to finally grab the forgotten garments.

_I did promise to show you how to put these on, _he smirked. He held out the larger triangle with the smaller part in the front and Katara quickly caught on at seeing the now clearly, leg sized holes, and obediently stepped forward into the contraption so Zuko could pull it up to her hips, groping her ass after they were in place for good measure.

The silky fabric slid luxuriously against her skin in a way her bindings hand never had, and the freedom of movement created when she wasn't bound in constricting linen was almost life changing. Katara marveled at the breeze she felt on her rear as she twisted and turned, trying to get a good look at herself without a mirror.

_Trust me, they look good, _Zuko thought to her while his eyes burned with lust. Katara blushed at being caught examining herself so critically.

"What are they?" She asked curiously as Zuko stepped up behind her with the other lacy piece of clothing in his hands. He directed her hands through the arm holes and pulled the ends of the band around her back, using his other hand to position the triangles over her breasts (while sneaking the occasional grope in). Once Katara signaled she was comfortable, Zuko tied the band in the back, making a small bow.

"This," Zuko said as he walked around to face her and run a finger over her nipple through the thin fabric, "is a bra." His finger switched to the other nipple as the other hand skimmed her back, leaving a tingly, white hot path on its way down to caress her ass and run a finger over her pussy. "These are called panties or underwear," he said as her heartbeat quickened.

_Spirits, how are you doing this to me? _Katara wondered as she tried to regain control over herself and forget about the now familiar tightness and dampness that had sprung up between her legs again. Zuko grinned as he drew away and grabbed the cropped shirt he had bought for her, pulling it over her head as Katara read his thoughts and obediently held up her arms.

_I_ have _learned a few things here and there, _he explained as he continued to dress her in first the leggings, then the skirt,_ it's also easy with the bond for me to read you and understand from your prospective what will feel good. _

Katara sat down to begin brushing her hair after Zuko finished dressing her to mull that over. If she was being honest, the control Zuko had over her body scared her a bit. The intensity of the sensations he created inside her, amplified by the bond, it was addicting. Katara wondered if she would have been able to trust any man with this level of control over her if she wasn't bonded to them. She doubted it─now that she had Zuko, she would trust no one else with the task.

"You better not," Zuko growled playfully as Katara finished brushing her hair and stood as she abandoned her thoughts. While she had been busy, the Zuko had once again gone digging around his secret stash. He returned with several gold bangles that he helped her slide up her arms, and a pair of red satin flats that he slipped on her feet. Finally, he stood to his full height with something clutched in his hand.

_Your necklace, _Zuko gestured awkwardly at the piece of jewelry hanging around Katara's neck he had once stolen, _it's very...Water Tribe. _He opened his fist to reveal an intricately carved golden pendant hanging from a silky ribbon that was dyed a deep, rich red. The patterns carved into the metal reminded Katara vaguely of rough waves.

"Obviously, this is no replacement for your mother's necklace. And it's not a betrothal necklace, even though we are probably, maybe, kind of bonded for life, we've only been dating for 3 weeks, and the Fire Nation doesn't use betrothal necklaces anyway but it kind of looks like one so it's still kind of a symbol of commitment andー" Katara cut off the Prince's rambling by pressing her lips to his.

_I love it, _she thought as she smiled softly. She turned around and Zuko began putting the necklace on her without question, a slight blush on his face. Katara blushed as well at the direction of her thoughts─she was surprised at how much she liked the idea of wearing something that told others of their bond and her connection to Zuko. A small part of her that was becoming bigger the more time she spent with Zuko loved the idea of showing off that she belonged to her Prince and her Prince alone.

Zuko finished tying the necklace and smirked as he listened in on her thoughts.

_Trust me, I like it just as much as you do. _

At that, Zuko somehow pulled his own shirt over his head and opened the hunk of earth serving as a door in one fluid move. He smiled at Katara over his shoulder before he headed off to wake their stubborn friends.

Alone in their room, Katara resisted the urge to peek inside Zuko's things for more hints on her forthcoming presents. Instead, she drew water out of the basin in a fluid motion, coaxing the individual droplets to form together into a smooth, oval surface; a mirror large enough to see herself. She froze the ice with a thought, then walked over to lean the object against the wall. After stepping back far enough to see her full frame, she critically examined the familiar, yet unfamiliar image in front of her.

_It's so strange to be wearing red, _she thought as she moved her arm this way and that, watching the way the dim light in the cave bounced off her new bangles and golden pendant. The red silk looked unfamiliar around her neck, but she liked it. As much as she loved her mom's necklace, it was nice to have something solely her own. Katara eyed the small section of her midriff that was showing critically, fighting the urge to cross her arms and cover some of her exposed skin.

_Less clothing is better for this Fire Nation weather, I suppose, _she thought resignedly, _though my boobs really do look a lot better. _

And they did. Rather than being the compressed kind of 'uni-boob' the bindings created, her breasts looked distinct, perky, defined, even creating some cleavage that showed above the low neckline of her cropped shirt.

More than her new clothes, there were many small changes, things someone who had not known her well might struggle to see. _I'm...glowing_, Katara thought in wonder. And she was, though not obviously, like a lantern. Instead, every part of her seemed...enhanced. Her eyes brighter, her skin smoother, her figure more pronounced. _Even my hair's longer, _she thought in wonder, realizing why it had taken so long to detangle her locks this morning. _I look...I look pregnant! _She realized in horror. Her mind started to quickly spiral until she forcibly shook herself.

_Get a grip_, Katara struggle to reel her panic back in. She couldn't be pregnant─they hadn't actually had sex! She nearly smacked herself at her stupidity.

_So, just another effect of this crazy bond then, _she sighed. Not that these weren't good changes, and she _definitely _loved the way Zuko's eyes had been following her recently, but how much further could she possibly get from _normal?_

Katara sighed again as she tried to shake off her thoughts. Breakfast needed to be prepared, and Zuko must be nearly done waking everyone up by now. With one last glance in her makeshift mirror, Katara pulled a small section of hair in the front of her head into a top knot─_why not add one more weird thing into the mix?_─secured it with a ribbon, and left their room for the day.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

Zuko held Katara's arm securely in the crook of his own as the couple accompanied by the Gaang made their way through the crowded marketplace. Aang had long disappeared in the search for vegetarian fare, and Zuko was thankful to no longer have to watch the Airbender's eyes follow his girlfriend's well-defined body in her new outfit like a lost puppy.

Thoughts of his girlfriend made his eyes drift to the Waterbender tucked into his side. Katara looked peaceful and happy, here blue eyes bright as she took in all the different stalls of food and spices. The bond buzzed happily between them with her excitement and Zuko caught glimpses of her varied thoughts as her eyes darted back and forth.

_I have good taste, _he thought to himself satisfactorily as he eyed his Waterbender's body in Fire Nation red. The rich color made her skin look smooth and exotic, and her long, thick hair tumbled down her back ethereally. Zuko had noticed more than a few men looking her way and, though he couldn't blame them, he made sure to eye them menacingly and hold Katara a little tighter when they passed.

Zuko snapped out of his thoughts as he felt Katara nodding her head next to him. Sokka and Toph, clad in their newly co-opted Fire Nation clothes, were informing her of their plans to find food. Even though Toph could fend for herself for the most part, she still usually paired up with someone in an environment with so many people-especially when visually shopping to find the right stalls was involved. Toph ran off with Sokka in tow and Zuko and his girlfriend were left alone.

The bonded pair cherished moments like this. For the entirely of their brief relationship, they had mostly been confined to a boat, getting to explore port only once or twice before their departure in the middle of the night. They had also been keeping their relationship a secret from the rest of the Gaang, so it wasn't like they could go out for a date like a 'normal' couple might.

If Zuko was being honest, he wasn't too sure what people did on dates. He had only been on one date in his life, back when he was living as a refugee in Ba Sing Se, and that had ended in disaster. Had he still been at court, his parents would have likely set up occasional meetings between himself and his betrothed―chaperoned of course, but those meetings could hardly be considered dates either.

It was in times like these that Zuko appreciated the bond between himself and the Waterbender. He could feel that Katara had no specific expectations for their time in the market, and that took some pressure off of the Prince. Katara knew it would be up to them to do proper shopping as there was no way Toph and Sokka would know what to buy, and Aang would refuse to buy meat, so that's what she was expecting to do.

_What if we split up to do the shopping, then we'll have more time to do something fun, _Zuko suggested to Katara, her face clearly showing that he had interrupted her thoughts. Her confused expression melted away as she looked up at him and smiled widely.

Zuiko allowed himself to admire her for a moment, and the unrestrained way in which she smiled at him. Growing up a Prince, Zuko had always had a slightly vain streak. It couldn't be helped growing up in the Palace and being groomed to eventually become some 'Supreme Firelord' of the world. He had been very much aware of his looks as all teens were, and he endeavored always to embody the Fire Nation and look the part of the rightful heir. The symbolic Phoenix Tail hairstyle, the royal armor he wore, all of these things were part of a carefully crafted image that fell apart in an instant when his Father had burned his face.

His Father's flames, fueled by his ire, had quickly burned away the hair on the side of Zuko's head and the delicate skin on the side of his face. He was lucky his eyesight hadn't been badly affected by the flames, but that didn't make it any easier to remove the thick layer of bandages and look in the mirror in the days, weeks, month and years following the accident that he had been traveling, adrift of not only his homeland, but also his identity.

His Uncle and loyal crew had done their best to make things feel as normal as possible for him, but Zuko hadn't been able to stand the knowing and pitying looks on their faces and the slight restraint in any smiles they gave.

However, when Katara smiled at him, there was none of that. She smiled like she didn't even see the scar.

_That's because I don't, silly. _Katara's teasing thoughts drifted from the edge of Zuko's senses. He refocused on his surroundings, smiling ruefully down at his much shorter girlfriend.

_Thanks for acting like you don't notice it, but you don't have to lie. _

_I don't! _Katara insisted with a frown. She paused for a moment and Zuko could practically see her thoughts moving as she tried to explain.

_If you think about it, I have never known you without your scar, _she thought to him. _You are so much more than your scar, so why should I see it?_

Zuko blinked at the Waterbender as she smiled triumphantly at him.

"Great! Meet you here around noon!" Katara kissed his cheek with a grin as she disappeared into the crowd, mentally giving Zuko a list of the items he was responsible for.

Zuko was left standing in the square with a dumb grin on his face as he pondered how exactly he had gotten so lucky and tried to figure out what he should surprise his girlfriend with at noon.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

Katara's blue eyes darted back and forth as she scanned the crowded square trying to find her wayward Prince and juggle the multiple food packages she was balancing in her hands. Through the bond she could tell he was close by, but she still hadn't spotted him.

She gasped as two long, strong arms suddenly wrapped around her from behind.

"Zuko!" Katara yelped, dropping her bags to spin around and smack the Firebender's arm, "You scared me!"

Zuko simply smirked as he knelt down to retrieve her dropped bags and began to merge the purchased items with his own. He leaned down to drop a kiss on her neck and wrap snake his arm around her waist.

_If my hugs scare you, then I can definitely make sure to give you less of them, _he teased. Katara frowned.

_That's not what I was saying!_

_Sounded like that's what you were saying. _

Katara stopped as she looked up at Zuko, his eyes bright with mirth, the corners of his lips turned up in a wide grin. She smiled in response.

_You're in a good mood, _she observed.

_I have a surprise for you, after we eat lunch, _he revealed. Katara looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

_More surprises? _Zuko would only wink before he shifted the bags to one hand and used the other to pull Katara close.

_Lunch first, _he said as he began to pull Katara off in the opposite direction. They walked without hurry through the market while they both kept an eye out for a glimpse of any other members of the Gaang. Seeing none, Katara focused on Zuko's face as he expertly navigated the streets to eventually lead them to a small tea parlour advertising the best dumplings in town.

_I didn't even know I was craving dumplings, _Katara thought wryly as her stomach growled. She and her Tribe had eaten a mostly meat diet back in the South Pole, the frigidness of their environment didn't allow for the growing of many crops, and anything that involved flour was a luxury Katara had not experienced until she had left her icy home. Throughout her travels with the Gaang, she had savored all the different ways people in the rest of the world thought to use the bland white powder, and dumplings were some of her favorites. She smiled at the Firebender's thoughtfulness as he pulled her into the shop and somewhat brusquely requested a table for two―just because he tolerated the Gaang and Katara didn't mean he was ready to be nice to some random hostess.

Katara looked around the small restaurant as Zuko arranged their bags on one of the vacant chairs before pulling out another chair and looking at Katara expectantly.

"After you," Zuko said with a gesture. Katara blushed in slight confusion as she sat and Zuko took pity on her as he took a seat in the chair across from her and explained.

"A gentleman should always seat his lady at court." Katara's brow furrowed.

"But we're not at court," she pointed out. Zuko shrugged in response.

"Doesn't mean I shouldn't treat you in a way befitting of a lady. What if we find ourselves at court one day?"

Katara pushed that question to the side for a second in favor of her curiosity. She looked cautiously around the cafe for eavesdroppers before she continued their conversation out loud.

"What is court like?" she asked. Zuko sat silent for some time as he thought of a response, finally looking as though he would speak when their waiter appeared to ask for their order.

Katara looked at the menu, but she quickly realized she didn't recognize most of the Fire Nation fare on there. Zuko jumped to her rescue, ordering food and drinks for them both and waiting for the waiter to deliver their steaming cups of oolong tea before he answered her question.

"It was very restrictive," Zuko began slowly, "and there are a lot of rules. The families given titles and status have aligned themselves with the Fire Nation ruling family for most of history, so most of the people at court were also trusted advisors or generals or governors, and they talked a lot about war," he recalled. "Children were to be seen and not heard for the most part, except for Azula when it became clear she was a prodigy, so I was usually forgotten, especially after my mother disappeared."

Katara thought that sounded sad, and said as much, but Zuko shook his head.

"I used to think it was a bad thing too," he acknowledged. "I hated being shuffled to the side and ignored, and I wanted to be involved in every war meeting or conversation of tactics. But now," he gestured to Katara, "now I think it was a good thing I wasn't around all of that so much. I might not have been a very good heir, but I hope I'm a better person for it."

The Waterbender smiled at him, unable to resist leaning over and kissing his cheek now that she could without fear of being spotted. Before she could speak, the waiter re-appeared with several assorted trays of dumplings and two small sharing plates. He topped off their tea and left the couple to their meal.

"I thought we could just share all of it," Zuko explained. Katara smiled at the way the suggestion reminded her of how they ate back home in her village, and used the chopsticks resting on the table to pick a dumpling off the plate nearest to her.

"Mmm," She moaned at the taste. Zuko kept up a running commentary silently through their bond as they tucked into their preferred fare, informing Katara of the name of each thing she tasted and answering her questions in more detail. They both finished quickly, having been hungry from walking around in the sun all morning and eager to move on to their next activity before being reunited with the Gaang.

Zuko cleared the last of the dumplings, Katara having long since claimed fullness, and they quickly paid and left the cafe, heading out into the warm, early afternoon hand in hand.

_I thought we could take a little tour, _Zuko suggested, _with the historic importance of this island, I know it like the back of my hand._

Katara brightened at the suggestion; she loved hearing Zuko talk about his home country. You could see the love shining in his eyes and the responsibility he felt to return to his nation and make it better than ever before. Even though he wasn't a prodigy like Azula, all of Zuko's hard work had clearly instilled in him a deep love and respect for his country that he might not have otherwise.

Katara took his hand in simple acceptance and off they went. The Prince led her through alleys and winding roads, pointing out statues and their significance, this sight and that. They strolled through a beautiful courtyard with flower boxes filled with all types of bright exotic specimens Katara had never seen before, and she didn't hesitate to pull him to a stop so she could have a closer look.

_I wonder what these are, _Katara mused as she fingered a bright pink plant with trumpet like petals. Flowers didn't grow in the South Pole, and Katara had delighted even in the weediest looking plants throughout her travels.

_It's a Cameliarose, _Zuko answered her silent question easily. She giggled slightly to herself; it shouldn't surprise her that Zuko seemed to know a little bit about everything.

_It's beautiful, _Katara thought as she idly plucked a petal from the flower to tuck behind her ear. She looked at her boyfriend to smile widely at him, pleased with the contrast of the bright pink against her dark locks. He looked at her with an inscrutable expression for a moment before taking her hand and continuing to stroll. Katara breathed in the fresh, perfumed air feeling peaceful as they walked―Zuko would open up eventually.

_Those were my mother's favorite flowers, _Zuko finally explained after a moment's hesitation. Katara looked at him in surprise as her hand reflexively went to the flower behind her ear.

_I can take it out if you want, _Katara said apologetically, her hand already moving to do so. Zuko caught the hand in mid air, entwining his fingers with her own and bringing their joined hands down to their sides.

_No, I like it, _Zuko objected as they reached the exit to the garden and a fork in the road. He deftly chose the path to the right and led the way as they continued their tour, eventually finding themselves in front of a larger building than most in the small town, the sign out front proclaiming it to be the Town Library.

Katara looked around wonderingly as Zuko opened the doors, the strong smell of parchment hitting her immediately. The Water Tribe girl had never seen another library outside of the one inhabited by the vengeful Knowledge Spirit Wan Shi Tong, and that was buried in the middle of a vast desert.

This library was clearly well-loved and taken care of. Instead of piles of sand and dust, there were reading chairs and posters that clearly explained the filing system and the types of books in each section. A couple of older, harsh looking women in uniform wandered from patron to patron, clearly helping as the purveyors of the library. One of those women spied the bonded couple when they entered and immediately came over to offer her assistance.

"Good afternoon," the woman greeted them as she approached, "are you looking for anything in particular today?"

Zuko and Katara looked at eachother. Despite the fact that they had gotten used to and depended on the bond between them, there was still that nagging feeling in the back of their minds that wanted to know more about the bond and how it had occurred. There seemed like no better place to start than a library, but what category would "freaky spirit bond" fall into?

"We're interested in learning more about chi," Katara interjected smoothly as Zuko floundered slightly. He nodded along with her; that made sense. The fact that their chi seemed to long to be together was just about the only concrete thing they knew about the bond that had mysteriously popped up between them.

The librarian's brow furrowed. "We don't have a section on chi here..most libraries nowadays don't, in fact. You might try the meditation section," the woman beamed as she began walking towards the meditation section without waiting for an answer. She explained to them the cataloguing system and then left the bonded pair to their own devices.

This section was considerably less busy than the other parts of the library, and smaller as well. It was nothing more than a couple of dusty rows of books and scrolls tucked into a dim corner of the library. Left alone, the couple looked around the small space as they wondered where to start.

Zuko began examining the spines and labels and pulling specific ones down, clearly eager to start looking. Katara followed his example, looking for any titles or summaries that mentioned how meditation might affect chi flow and chi in general.

Katara didn't know much about chi, though every child was taught the basics growing up in the South Pole. Chi should always flow uninterrupted, like water. In this way, your life source is always flowing, giving energy and, in certain people, granting bending abilities. Meditation was a way to look inward and calm the soul, reducing blockages of anger and anxiety that might prevent chi from flowing properly, inducing a calm and balanced well-being.

The Waterbender looked to her boyfriend as he sat down on a reading mat on the floor to begin scanning a few tomes and scrolls. She could sense his slight surprise and knew he must have already found something in the time she had been mulling over her thoughts.

_What is it? _Katara asked as she crossed her legs to join her boyfriend on the floor next to their supplies. Zuko looked to her reservedly.

_I don't know if it's too important yet...you know about how meditation helps keep chi flowing and balanced? _

Katara nodded her understanding so Zuko would continue. The Firebender pointed to the book in his hands. It was clearly very old, having a worn and exposed wooden spine and boasting a dragon skin cover.

_This is about advanced meditation techniques, _Zuko explained, _it talks about how someone might meditate if they want to..._enhance _their chi. _

"Enhance it?" Katara asked out loud, visibly confused. She looked around for a second in fear of someone overhearing, having forgotten her surroundings and how quiet it was in this corner of the library.

_I...I didn't know that was possible. How would someone enhance their chi? _Katara questioned, silently this time. Zuko sat silently as he gathered his thoughts for a moment so he could try and explain.

_In the Fire Nation, we are taught that chi is your life force. The stronger your chi, the stronger you are, the more easily you can overcome sickness and adversity. Those with even stronger chi than normal are Firebenders. _

Katara nodded; this was similar to the way chi was explained to them in the Water Tribe.

_This book talks about different kinds of meditations you can do to enhance the different kinds of chi. There's spiritual chi, healing chi, _he looked at Katara thinking of her healing abilities, _mental chi...there's a lot of ways more chi can enhance the different abilities of the body. _

Katara nodded slowly as she absorbed that information. If chi was a person's life force, it made sense that more life force would give a person more power and more abilities, but she didn't see how that related to the bond, and impressed that thought on Zuko through their connection. He nodded in agreement.

_Yeah, that's what I thought at first until I saw the different meditation forms. _

The Prince slid the ancient tome over to Katara and opened it to a page near the front that had several different illustrations of people meditating in various positions. Katara's eyes immediately landed on a row of illustrations which featured a meditating pair.

_Convergence meditation, _the book read, _is an advanced form of meditation because it requires the synchrony of chi flow. By meditating with in complete synchrony with another person, one can direct one's chi to flow _through _the other and vice versa. In this way, their chi will converge, their paths will merge. This can only make them stronger. _

Katara's reading was interrupted as a distant bell began to toll. The chime told them it was half past 3―long past the time the Gaang was supposed to reconvene in their cave. The pair rose and hurriedly returned the books and scrolls to their places on the shelf, grabbed their bag of supplies, linked hands, and left the library. They walked a path away from the town heading into the hills where their hidden base lie as they discussed their findings in the library. They were silent until they met up with Sokka and Toph, and in the chaos of an impromptu search for Aang, the bonded pair didn't get the chance to talk about their findings until late at night after everyone had gone to sleep.

Everyone, including the animals, had eaten. Aang had been found and was surprisingly going back to a Fire Nation school tomorrow? Long story. Sokka was satisfied with the schedule and Toph was happy about sleeping in a cave. And so, with everyone content and settled for now, Katara and Zuko retreated into their room to discuss their bond.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

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**Author's Note: **This chapter was getting ridiculously long so it needed to be cut here. Another lemon, what do you guys think? The basis of my understanding of chi comes from google, but it works for my purposes. Drop a review if you have any more knowledge about the subject you might like to see featured in the story!


	15. Chapter 15

Katara and Zuko sat cross-legged across from each other on their bed roll in their room, hands linked in silent support as they talked over everything they knew about their bond.

They had both finally remembered to discuss the strange dreams/memories they had experienced sleeping next to each other. Zuko was silent after hearing Katara recount the memory she had experienced featuring Princess Azula, so the Waterbender was filling the silence with her own thoughts about the dream her boyfriend had had.

"You know, one of my best memories with my mom was going penguin sledding with her that dayㄧI barely remembered what happened before that at all," Katara mused. Since her mother's death, the Waterbender had idolized Kya in her memories, her mind blocking all bad thoughts of their relationship. Now that the memory had resurfaced, she could recall feeling so angry and hurt that day, left on the dock, and how scared she had been when she had been falling toward the cold, dark water. But nothing had upset her more than her mother's anger and panic at her powers. Katara was a girl who thrived on approval of others, and no opinion was more important to her than her mom's. Kya's reaction had not failed to make her feel 2 inches tall despite how powerful she had felt in the moment she was bending. Wanting to please her mom and forget the event all together, Katara had spent the years leading up to and directly following her death denying her abilities and being horrified when they embarrassingly reared their ugly head. She was terrified of bringing the threat of grey snow and black Fire Nation ships cutting through the fog on her Tribe.

She was terrified of herself.

So Katara had done her best to forget this memory, except for the good parts, and it looked like Zuko had done the same with his own. The Prince was staring unseeingly into the darkness.

"Iㄧ," he paused to let out a long suffering sigh, "I can't believe even my own sister is out to get me." Katara flinched at his cruel laugh.

"They don't deserve you Zuko," she said, gripping his hands. He ripped them out of her grasp, abruptly standing up.

"I just don't get what I ever did to them," he bit out as he paced. "What did the _world _ever do to them?"

His knuckles were white as his fists clenched and unclenched, beginning to smolder. Katara stood up to approach him cautiously as he closed his eyes, face pinched in obvious pain. Zuko opened his eyes, however, when he felt the Waterbender's arms wrap around his torso.

_I'm angry at them too, but we'll never have the answers to those questions, _Katara said firmly. _We have been given a gift, with this bond. We have the ability to change the course of the future. And now, we have been presented with a choice. _

Zuko's body was still tense in her embrace, but he was now breathing deep calming breaths. _It's just, everyone expects me to _fix _this. My father and sister made my life a living hell for years. How am I supposed to beat them? How are we supposed to save the world?_ Katara moved around to face him slowly, resting her hand on his scarred cheek.

"We can either take our fates into our own hands and use our gift to make the world a better place, or," Katara caressed the Prince's face once more as he closed his eyes, "we can become like them. We can let our anger consume us until we're just as bent on revenge."

All the breath and anger went out of Zuko in a warm sigh as he sunk to his knees on the bedroll, Katara following him. The Firebender lay down as he stared unseeingly at the stalactites dotting the roof of their cave room. Katara brushed a gentle finger across his cheek to wipe away the lone tear that had collected there.

"I want to hate her, I want to hate my father too," Zuko said unsteadily, "and some part of me does. But a part of me still loves them, still wants to be together as a family," he smiled ruefully. "This is just another part of my stupidity. Who doesn't hate someone who burns half their face off?!"

Katara grabbed his hands before he could cover his face and brought them to her lips.

_Don't be ashamed, they're still your family, _she smiled cruelly. _Besides, I have more than enough anger on your behalf to make up for it. _

Zuko pulled her into a kiss as Katara tried to evaluate the satisfaction she felt at admitting how much she hated Zuko's father and sister for how they had treated him. The Waterbender had long known she had a vindictive streak, but she received satisfaction like no other at the thought of revenging all of Zuko's pain and hurt. The bond amplified all aspects of their personalityㄧnot just the good ones. She needed to be stronger than her anger, as much as she wanted to face Azula with her new skills, and try her best not to let it overcome her and cloud her judgement.

Zuko pulled away from their kiss to look her in the eyes. "You better not risk your safety," he told her seriously. "We wouldn't want the future Fire Lady being harmed." She stared at him in surprise, dodging the kiss he tried to plant on her cheek. Zuko frowned as he pulled in her close.

_Moments like this are when I know you're perfect for the throne, _he explained as he pulled back to caress her face. _You kick my ass in gear when I'm down, you are fiery and passionate and caring, and smart all at the same time. _

"You would be a perfect ruler. If you're going to be with me...then you'll rule next to me," the Prince said matter-of-factly. Katara was still lost in confused thought, not responding to the soft kiss he placed on her lips. He frowned as her face remained clearly unsure.

_I can't do it without you...I can't _be _without you, _Zuko admitted silently, then he smirked. _If we're being honest, you would be a better leader than me anyway. You lead this group well, you lead your tribe well, _he chuckled to himself, _really, I'm sure you would be the one pulling the strings._

As they continued to talk late into the night, Katara deftly avoided any further conversation on the topic. It was impossible, no _Fire_ Nation citizen would want a Waterbender as their Fire Lady.

Despite all this, she found herself fantasizing as they finally lay down to sleep about what living in a Palace would be like, what being _royalty_ would be like. Could she really do it? Could a girl like her from a tiny Tribe like her own really become Fire Lady one day?

_No, _she thought to herself firmly to quell any further questioning of the idea. Instead, Katara focused on more pressing matters. They were in the middle of a war, and she needed to keep her eye on the prize.

Though Zuko had closed his eyes next to her, Katara could easily tell he wasn't sleeping. He must be able to feel the incessant tingling of the bond as it refused to settle, despite how close they were cuddled together on their sleeping pad. She wiggled out from her spot, slightly trapped under the Firebender's heavy arm. Her mind had whirred with a plethora of thoughts, but there was one in particular.

_...Zuko? _His eyes snapped open, struggling to focus on her in the low light of their cave room.

_Should we...meditate? Together? _He lay there silent for a moment, and for the first time, she sensed hesitation from him in taking the next step in their relationship. Their chi seemed to be subconsciously trying to converge whenever they were near each other, but what would happen if they finally made the connection?

The silence stretched and the bond only tingled more demandingly. Finally, the Prince gripped her hand and closed his eyes. He didn't speak, but he didn't need to as their breathing easily found synchrony. The bond flared with warmth between them, their chi mixing slowly, taking the path of least resistance and spooling together like tide pools in the surf.

Eyes closed, the pair wouldn't notice the slight glow that covered the room. The bond satisfied, they were asleep in seconds.

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While Katara was thinking murderous thoughts about the Fire Nation Princess, said Princess was thinking murderous thoughts about others.

_Well, not murderous thoughts in particular, _Azula thought to herself as she made her way to the Capital City Prison.

It had been almost a week since Azula had been back in her homeland, and things had been...quiet. _Too _quiet, if she was being honest.

When she had brought back her traitorous Uncle and informed her father of the capture, she had expected him to question his older brother. She had a wide spy network already established among the prison guards for the occurrence of that eventuality.

According to her spies, however, he had never showed.

Azula paused in her thoughts. Every 5 minutes, a guard patrolled exactly a yard away from where she was currently standing. She had 33 seconds before the next man on shift arrived, and the guard, Li Nao, was not one of her spies, so she would need to approach this cautiously.

Though the Princess loathed the thought of hiding, she loathed the thought of giving up leverage unnecessarily even more. Though Li Nao was not one of her spies, she knew..._enough _about him to ensure he behaved. His wife, 2 daughters aged 5 and 18 months, his elderly parents who had retired to Ember Island, and pet komodo dog were all counting on him of course.

But Azula didn't know how many times she would have to visit the prison, how many times she would have to keep her identity hidden and where that information about Li Nao might prove more useful. So she hid, flipping her body agily into the rafters of the roof covering the pathway, hiding in the darkness just as the guard passed by underneath her.

After allowing enough time to pass, Azula dropped to the ground to continue on to her destination and once again lost herself in her thoughts. Her lips formed into a frown.

_No one has been playing their role correctly recently, _she thought, cursing not only Zuko and her Father, but her beloved _friends _Mai and Ty Lee, the stupid Dai Li, and all her incompetent servants and spies.

_If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. _

_Everyone was the enemy. _This was a lesson Azula knew well, but she was still constantly having to relearn it in all it's different iterations. Zuko was an idiot, that was certain. It had become clear that her Father's ego had grown past allowing the man to see logic, and he was slipping. Mai and Ty Lee were growing soft, and every last servant, spy and Dai Li agent could simply be bought by the highest bidder. No, she could trust no one but herself.

A distant bell tolled from somewhere in the city as Azula's leather boots crossed the threshold of the most secured part of the prison. The guards thus far had either been avoided or were secretly loyal to her, but the guard standing around the corner outside of her _beloved _Uncle's prison cell would need to be handled carefully. There was no way to avoid him and every reason to get him on her side. She could easily spin the leaking of these meetings to make her look the part of doting daughter, eager to interrogate her Uncle who was surely thirsting for his rightfully deserved throne and make sure her Father's safety wasn't at risk, but there was always a better way to go about things, and keeping her Father in the dark about these particular meetings was the better way.

Azula made her way around the corner to her destination and, careful to keep her footsteps even and unhurried, she plastered a large, Ty Lee-like smile on her face. She directed that bright smile at the guard, wiggling her perfectly manicured fingers at him in a familiar wave.

"General Yang! How are you?" The Princess asked warmly. She smiled inwardly at the open look of surprise on the General's face. He had been disarmed rather easily.

_The first step to defeating someone? Keeping them off-balanced._

General Yang recovered from his surprise quickly to bow respectfully to the royal. "Princess Azula," he gasped, eyes lowered in deference. Azula smiled acceptingly at him.

"It must be such an honor to be trusted to guard the famed Dragon of the West," she said lightly, injecting just the right amount of manufactured awe and respect into her voice, "Warden Poon must hold you in high regard."

The older man's chest puffed slightly with pride as he gave her a pleased smile, relaxing at her words. "That is very kind of you Princess, but it's not a very hard job. The old man seems to have lost his mind anyways!" He gave a full belly laugh that slowly petered out as he realized she wasn't laughing with him. Azula waited patiently for him to become silent before her previous warm smile abruptly fell.

_Too easy. _

"Firelord Ozai sentenced my _esteemed _Uncle to the high security prison himself," she looked at the General from under her lashes. "Are you suggesting the Firelord had a lapse in judgement?" she asked sweetly. Yang was frozen to his spot as Azula slowly strode towards him. His mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.

"I hope not," Azula answered her own rhetorical question as the General continued impersonating a fish, "because such behavior would be rather untrustworthy….it might even considered to be treasonous...Would you say so?"

A bead of sweat appeared on Yang's forehead as his face began to take on a gray pallor. "What do you want?" he asked angrily. Azula snickered lightly.

"What a silly question," she smirked, "I don't _want _for anything. I am given them." She grinned at the man. "So the question should be: what can _you _give _me_?"

The General's jaw clenched in anger as he refused to rise to the bait. She smiled inwardly once again. _Yes, I like his spunk._

"No answer?" she asked lightly. "That's okay, I'll share it with you just this once."

Suddenly, Azula lurched forward to grab the high necked collar of the guard's armor to wrench him closer to her, throwing him off balance. She grinned at him once she had him in position, berry red lips stretching threateningly over pearly white teeth. The General glared at her, but didn't make any attempt to escape his fate.

_It's much easier to get things done when you don't give people the option to refuse. _

The Princess let him sweat for a minute before she let her trap spring. "Luckily, there is an option other than you facing one thousand fire lashes for treason," Azula said lightly, ignoring the widening of Yang's eyes. "You will be guarding my Uncle every night for the next two weeks. I may come to see him, I may not. You will make sure the way is clear and _no one _hears about this." She released his collar, finally letting him straighten up. Yang was clearly surprised that this was the only request the royal had for him.

"You just want me to...let you in and not tell anyone?" He asked cautiously, still tense at the relatively simple request.

The stick had been delivered, now for the carrot.

"There is always a reward to be gained for those who serve, wouldn't you say?" Azula asked. She tittered when the General hesitated at answering her, and lightly stepped around him to her Uncle's cell door. "Besides, I am confident you'll do well; great punishment is always waiting near great reward."

With that, Azula gestured expectantly at the door, causing General Yang to fumble for his keys. His hands shook a bit as he flipped through the ring before finding the right one, missing the key-hole several times before he got it on his fourth try. Yang opened the door to the dim cell for her, bowing as she moved under the door way.

The room was a far cry from any royal upbringing in the Palace. The tiny cell had no window, so the air in the room was disgustingly stagnant. The gray, cinder block walls were moist with mold from the humid climate of the Fire Nation. An abandoned tray of food lay next to a dirty foot, attached to a similarly dirty leg that belonged to her Uncle.

In the dim light of the cell, she could just barely make out General Iroh's intelligent golden eyes glinting in the darkness. His grey hair hung limply around his face, stiff with dirt and grease after not having a proper shower in the month since he had arrived in his home country in chains. Azula caught the details that the ageing General seemed to be trying to hide: the shrinking of his large belly because of nutrient deficient prison food, the quiet hum of pain when he shifted slightly to look at his niece's face.

Said niece stared at him, calculating. This part of the plan had always needed to wait until she saw her Uncle face to face, so she could accurately identify the mask she should be wearing. Her Uncle had always seen through her like no other, privately counseling her mother to be weary of the Princess, even when she was just a child. Uncle Iroh was the one person she had never tried to trick. Not only had she never needed to, but he somehow always saw it coming.

Now, Niece and Uncle stared at each other cautiously, each trying to feel out the older man was in prison, he should be no threat. But Azula could see that same intelligence in her Uncle's eyes she had seen when she was younger and, for once, she hesitated. Taking over the Fire Nation, betraying her family members one by one, it all sounded well and good until one was standing in front of someone, a family member, trying to decide whether to set a trap or not. And now, standing in front of her Uncle at 2 AM in the morning as the result of her own elaborate plan, Azula's goals sounded more exhausting than ever before.

The two stared at each other for several more seconds. It was up to Azula to decide how this would go, this she knew. She had brought this man to his knees on several occasions, not just because of her skill, but because he hadn't been expecting it. Even though the General could see how rotten she truly was, he couldn't help but hope things would turn out differently, that she would shake off the shackles of her royal family's war campaign and magically become a better person. And, depending on what she did here, in this cell, she was teetering on the brink of no return.

Azula smiled sinisterly as she jumped off that figurative ledge.

"Good evening, Uncle."

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Zuko resisted the urge to cover his face with his hands as he stared disbelievingly at Sokka.

"Sapphire and Wang Fire? Seriously?" He glared at the Water Tribe warrior. _This _was the genius planning mind in charge of the invasion of one of the most militarily capable nations in history?

Zuko should have known something like this would happen if Aang decided to attend school. In his short time with the group, he had noticed they had absolutely no problem detouring from their actual mission of _saving the world from Fire Nation domination, _and they loved to diverge from the plan in the _most ridiculous_ of ways. Frankly, the Firebender was surprised they hadn't been captured yet.

If it were him, he would never have indulged in this silly plan. They should keep moving, making it harder for his murder-bent sister to catch up with them. Aang should be practicing his Firebending forms _and _his Earthbending could still use some help, and he and Katara needed to practice this form of convergent meditation to see if they could unlock any further powers of the bond. Zuko wanted to say all of this out loud, but looking at Aang's hopeful face and big gray eyes, he could easily see why the others found it hard to say no to his shenanigans, and he quickly found himself roped in with his girlfriend to play the role of Aang's parents for a conference.

A stupid decision, if he was being honest with himself, since it was that particular decision that had lead him to his current predicament: trying to knock some sense into a Water Tribe boy who had never been in the Fire Nation for any length of time and clearly didn't know what names were acceptable and believable.

"Seriously?! These are perfectly good Fire Nation names!" Sokka insisted, voice going high with indignation. Toph and Katara snickered secretly at his meltdown.

"Can it Snoozles, Sparky wins on this one. Who else would know Fire Nation names better than the _Prince _of the Fire Nation?" The blind Earthbender asked with a grin. Sokka opened his mouth to argue some more, but Zuko cut him off before he could get started.

"Lee and Liu. We'll be Lee and Liu Chen," Zuko looked to his girlfriend for approval and she nodded at him gratefully, then looked down at herself.

"Well, I guess I should change," she mused, looking at her bare abdomen. Curiously, the Waterbender didn't think many mothers were showing up to school conferences in crop tops. Sokka leapt up excitedly, moving to grab a bag stuffed with straw.

"I got you sis! Pregnant Liu disguise!" He yelled, holding the bag in front of his stomach to demonstrate. "Perfect, am I right or am I right?"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "That isn't necessary and it looks stupid!" He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, quickly making up his mind. _I'll be right back, _he thought to Katara, not bothering to say anything out loud for the rest of the groups benefit. With that, he turned on his heel and retreated to their room, heading over to his familiar bags filled with his possessions. Zuko dug through the bag of clothes he had brought for Katara, bringing out the first outfit he had picked out for her.

Zuko fingered the gold embroidery. He had picked this dress for his girlfriend because of how noble it looked. Her thoughts had been right about no lady in upper society wearing a crop top, but the bust of this dress gathered at the front to accentuate the waist and dipped low in the middle. The sides of the collar continued far past the normal height of such things, as was in the style of Fire Nation nobility. Zuko shook out the dress apprehensively, inspecting it for imaginary specks of dirt as he delayed bringing it to Katara. He wasn't blind to her lack of response to his desire for her to become Fire Lady the night before, and she had been somewhat withdrawn throughout the dayㄧeven as the bond only pulled them closer together through the convergence meditation. _Hopefully this meeting and slight break from trying to figure out their connection and future will relax her a bit_, he thought to himself as he gathered his nerve and walked back to the front room where the group was still arguing about what Katara should wear.

Zuko ignored the rest of the Gaang and walked over to his girlfriend. _This is another dress I got you, if we just change your hair a little to the style of a married woman, you'll look perfect. _The Gaang went silent as Katara took the dress from the Firebenders hand and held it up in the firelight.

_Zuko...this must have been expensive...it's too nice for me, _her eyes took in the height of the collar and he could practically see the gears in her mind whirring as she used her limited knowledge of the Fire Nation to assess the situation, then she jerked her head to look at him.

_This is for a noble woman, _she accused. Zuko shrugged.

_I bought it for you to wear when I finally get to take you somewhere nice, _he deflected. _This _is _a school for the children of nobles and higher ups in the military, you'll fit right in. _The Waterbender glared at him.

_You got this before we knew we'd be doing this. _

_So? _Zuko shrugged again, aware of Katara's increasing ire, but not entirely sure what to do to stop it. He didn't see the big deal; so what if he had bought his girlfriend a nice thing? Isn't that what boyfriends did?

_What if I don't want to be a noble woman?! _Katara's face had gone red with anger while Zuko repressed the urge to jerk back and tried to take a calming breath through his hurt and anger.

_What? _He asked quietly. _Is that true? Is that why you're so upset with me? _She sighed all of her anger out in the face of her boyfriend's obvious hurt.

_No, I─ _

Whatever she was going to say was cut off by Sokka. "Hey! Stop doing your creepy, spirit mind trick thingy and get ready! You can have your argument later."

In a millisecond, Katara had focused her icy glare on her brother, taking a deep breath to unleash her full wraith on him when Aang interrupted.

"Uhhh, guys?" Aang asked hesitantly, jumping when Katara focused her glare on him. "Uhh! We're gonna be late if we don't leave soon and," he sheepishly scratched his head, "thanks for doing this for me," he said, flashing his signature wide grin. Katara's face immediately softened.

"Sure Aang, let me just get changed," Katara said with a smile just for him. She turned abruptly on her heel, avoiding catching Zuko's eye to retreat to their bedroom.

Zuko was left standing there wondering what just happened. He looked to the rest of the group to see if they could shed any light on the situation.

"Hey, don't look at me," Sokka said with a shrug, "I thought girls liked gifts too!"

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

Toph sighed as she felt familiar, lighter steps approaching her through the din of all the other footsteps she could feel in the cave. _Twinkletoes, _she thought grumpily.

The bright side of Sugar Queen being all moody with Sparky all day was that said Queen was eager to be out of the Firebender's presence, and to find a distraction. The Waterbender had sought Toph out after she had returned from the meeting at the school to get ready for the impending dance party. And, though Toph was loathe to admit it, Katara's morose mood had inspired her to offer the one thing she knew would cheer her up.

The opportunity to paint the blind Earthbender's face and style her hair for the party.

Though Toph couldn't see herself and subsequently wasn't too interested in her appearance, she couldn't help but feel proud, confident, and not a little bit smug at the way Katara (and Zuko when he had seen) had complimented her makeup and hair. Even Sokka had commented that she looked different, at the very least.

But the one person who she wanted to notice hadn't said a word.

Toph Bei Fong had harbored a crush on the Avatar since he had confronted her at that first Earthbending match deep under the city of Gaoling. How could she not? As scared as she had been at first to leave home and her parents and everything she had ever known, she couldn't help but feel honored. The _Avatar _who had been assumed dead for a hundred years was actually alive and had sought _her _out of all people to be his Earthbending master! He didn't care at all that she was blind, and he even forgot sometimes! _And_ she was only twelve. It was an impressive feat, really it was.

Toph could admit that her surprise and wonder had left her slightly starstruck, and her mind had whizzed at a million miles an hour drumming up the most elaborate fantasies of how Aang might sweep her off into the night (without her parent's consent, how _cool)_ and ask her to be his girlfriend and maybe, just maybe, give her first kiss on the lips.

Then the reality of traveling with the group had made itself crystal clear, and the Earthbender immediately realized Aang was too busy making moon-cow eyes at the Waterbending master who was older—and prettier, she was sure—than her.

So Toph had abandoned her childish —and admittedly naive— fantasies and settled into her role as the tomboyish Earthbending master. After all, the hero always got the girl, and Toph was _just _not that girl.

Now, everything was different. Sugar Queen and Sparky were in some weird spirit bond and Aang had specific instructions from another spirit to get over it. Was she wrong to think her time was now? Had she had been wrong to get her hopes up?

Those light footsteps had been getting closer and closer as Toph had been brooding, and finally they were right next to her.

"Hey Toph!" Aang greeted her brightly.

"Hey Aang," Toph responded, trying to keep her voice even and unbothered. The music had swelled and the cave suddenly felt uncomfortably warm with all the dancing people. She rubbed her sweaty palms on her skirt as she waited for Aang to get to the point and tried in vain to slow the rapid beating of her heart.

Toph tensed suddenly when she felt the Airbender's warm breath on her face as he leaned closer to her.

"You look different," he observed. She heard his heart beat a little faster as she felt her cheeks warm with a blush.

"Different how?" Toph prompted, still tense.

"Good different!"Aang exclaimed immediately. There was movement; if she knew Aang, it was him rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Y-you look really nice," he stuttered out.

A smile bloomed on the Earthbender's face against her will. "Thanks," she muttered, looking down. The silence between them was filled with tension, the music thrumming along in the background as Toph held her breath, waiting for Aang to speak.

"You like dancing?!" Aang suddenly blurted rather loudly. Toph tried to give an unaffected laugh.

"Sometimes," she said non-committedly. "There's not too many people willing to dance with a blind girl"

"Well I would!" Aang exclaimed, then he quieted down nervously. "I me-mean, I-I would if you want to, I mean that is—"

"Can it Twinkletoes," Toph interrupted with a grin as she stood and grabbed his hand. "Less talking, more dancing."

Toph tried not to smile like a crazy person when he squeezed her hand in return.

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Katara sighed to herself as she sat in a quiet corner of the cave away from the rest of the raging dance party. She wasn't really in the mood to dance, and she could see from the fierce glare he was directing to anyone who came his way that her boyfriend felt the same. She sighed again.

The Waterbender knew Zuko was still confused and upset by her behavior early and honestly, Katara was confused herself. What kind of girl got upset at their boyfriend for spending too much money on them?

No, the gifts hadn't made her mad, she hadn't really been mad at all. She was scared, she felt like she was in over her head, and she had lashed out rather than just say—or even just think!— what she was feeling. _How much easier could it get?! _Katara griped to herself.

She supposed it couldn't be helped. Despite her forced early maturity, Katara was still just a 15 year old girl who had never left home before now. She knew girls in her tribe usually married around her age if a little bit older, and they would have been prepared for years about the thought of eventually leaving home and joining their husband's house.

Except things in her tribe had been anything but usual for a long time. With all the young men off fighting an endless war and so many of their people carted off in Fire Nation raids, their numbers had been dwindling for some time. While Katara had often dreamed of marrying as a young girl, once her mother was killed and the reality of war crept closer and closer, that dream had seemed further and further away. Really, their tribe had been living on the edge of sustenance, and the future was not something Katara often took the luxury of contemplating.

Zuko was forcing her to confront a reality she had never thought she had honestly never thought she would need to confront. Somehow, it was even more daunting then their impending invasion of the Fire Nation. Could she really leave her home forever for this foreign land? Would it be worth it?

Katara sighed. The energy of the bond buzzed all around her, just underneath her conscious thoughts. As she leaned into that comforting warmth, she couldn't help but feel that _it was _worth it. She couldn't help but feel like at Zuko's side was where she was meant to be. However, another small part of her whispered snarkishly that she was naive, what did she know about being a wife, much less a royal one?

The hard truth of the matter was, despite all of the problems their relationship would cause, Katara knew she would do anything necessary to be with Zuko. As much as she might try and slow things down and second guess herself, in her heart the decision was already made. Her connection with the Firebender wasn't something she would ever give up voluntarily..._and I should probably tell him that, _she realized with a sigh. Zuko hadn't deserved her anger, and the Waterbender felt she should at least apologize to Zuko for snapping at him so they could talk this out. Katara started to rise to do just that when she noticed the slight tingle of the bond from where it always was at the edge of her consciousness. She immediately looked over her shoulder and into her Prince's golden eyes,

He sat down without invitation. _Do you want to talk about it? _He asked hesitantly. Katara bit her lip at his tone, beating herself up slightly; all this time she had reassured him that she wasn't mad at him and then she snapped at him without reason and caused the banished Prince to doubt himself again.

Katara scooted closer to the Firebender to take his hand and kiss his unscarred cheek. _I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier, you didn't deserve that, forgive me? _

_Of course! _You could practically see the tension leaving his body when Zuko kissed her forehead in return. _But why were you so angry? _He asked confusedly. Katara shook her head.

_I realized I'm not angry...I'm scared. It's just_—_all of this is moving so fast and, _she took a breath to try and slow herself down but her thoughts were moving faster than she could keep up with, _it's not that I don't want to move fast. We're never just talking about _us, _we're talking about the fate of a whole nation! We're at war and we could die any day of course I know all of these things, but I'm afraid choosing a waterbending peasant will make things even harder for you when you go back home, and then you'll change your mind and regret saying and doing these things to me and for me, and I don't think I could take that because I like you, I really like you, and not just because we're bonded. I might...I might even, l_—

"I love you too," Zuko cut his girlfriend's ramblings off out loud. Said girlfriend's jaw dropped before she snapped it shut.

"Wh-what?" Katara asked wonderingly. "What did you say?"

"I said I love you," Zuko repeated, voice gaining confidence as he took her face in hands and pressed his lips against hers. _I'm sorry, I didn't mean to move too fast and scare you. With the bond, everything always feels so easy, but I guess that doesn't mean it's perfect. _He smiled wryly, _I don't know a lot about relationships and how they work, but I've never had someone felt like this for someone before. I want you, but you're right, I also have to think of my future. It's just, _he shrugged, _ever since my mom disappeared, I've been looking for something real. Now that I've found it...I might have gotten a little carried away picturing the perfect life I've always wanted, back home and loved by my nation, with you by my side. _

Katara wondered how you could simultaneously scoff at the absurdity of a thought and fervently wish it to be true at the same time.

"Never doubt this is real," he said firmly. "I haven't known too much happiness in my life, so I'm not stupid enough to throw away the one real chance I have. I want you for as long as you'll have—" Katara cut off her boyfriend by throwing her arms around him and pressing her full lips against his own.

"I love you too," she breathed. Katara wondered at the warm fuzzy feeling in her stomach and tingling she felt at the base of her spine. She had known she loved Zuko for some time, how could she not love him? The Firebender was so unlike what she expected the Prince of the Fire Nation to be. He was loving and selfless and considerate, but also determined and sensual and educated. The trust he gave her after being betrayed by so many people in his life, mostly his own family members, it felt so precious and rare and _perfect_. This was a feeling that felt _worth it, _the kind that she wanted to hold on to forever, Katara realized. And maybe that was stupid and naive of her, but one can't have the answer to all questions before venturing into the unknown, and she wasn't going to waste time second guessing the future when she could live in the now.

And in the now? Zuko had told her he loved her, and Katara couldn't be happier.

"I really like the things you bought me!" she exclaimed as his words caught up with her. "I realized earlier that I want to be with you for a very long time, and if that includes being Fire Lady," she shrugged, "then that's what I'll do." Katara marveled at how calmly she said this, when inside she was still a whirl of warm, fuzzy emotions from Zuko declaring his love for her. In this moment, the bond buzzing in content and wrapped in her Prince's arms, she felt like she could take on just about anything, including a nation.

Suddenly, the couple became aware of a commotion happening in the crowds of students present at the dance party. The kids had cleared space in the middle of the throngs, clearly preparing for a performance of some kind. Katara stood and grabbed Zuko's hand to drag him unwillingly with her.

_I don't want to dance with a bunch of schoolchildren, _the Firebender complained, but Katara shushed him as they finally reached the center of the group and got a glimpse of what was going on.

Aang and Toph were dancing. _Well, not just dancing, _Katara corrected herself internally as she watched her two younger friends in slight awe.

They bent opposing elements, but that difference came together in the most beautiful dancing style as Toph slid elegantly and confidently into place and Aang flowed and followed behind her, twisting and moving around her body to the music, at times using his bending to lift her with him as they parted and came back together in perfect synchrony. As the music came to a close, Aang whirled Toph around one last time while the younger girl wore the biggest smile Katara had ever seen on her face. The Airbender dipped her to the final beat. The party was silent for a moment before they burst into applause, Zuko and Katara (and even Sokka across the crowd) joining in with a smile.

Of course, the party dissolved into chaos minutes later and the Gaang was forced to make an impromptu escape into the night on Appa. The chaos was such that Katara never got a chance to talk to Toph about the party.

She couldn't have missed the tiny kiss the blind girl planted on the Avatar's cheek in the moonlight of Appa's saddle, however. She smiled to herself and nuzzled further into Zuko's side.

Katara hoped these good times lasted for a while.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

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**Author's Note: **How did we like Toph POV? I thought it was so stinking cute I couldn't stop smiling while I was writing it. How do we like Azula?

The couple's first little argument. I want their relationship to be very realistic, and in that vein I'm keeping in mind the culture and the times Zuko and Katara exist in. A lot of fics put marrying age at 16 for Katara, and I'm not sure where they got that information but it doesn't sound too far off. And of course, Zuko is to be the Firelord, if everything works out. A young Firelord who just took over his country violently with no heirs and no one in his family he can trust except his uncle. He would need a partner to help him with that, and that's a realistic concern that affects their relationship. On top of all that, they're young and in love, and we know young couples in love aren't know to have the best judgement.

In any event, the number one priority of this story is romance. I don't deal in angst, I can't take it, so it might get a little fluffy. Let me know if it gets _too _sickeningly sweet (or kinky maybe? How do we feel?), and I will be aware :D.


	16. Chapter 16

Zuko watched his girlfriend pass out bowls of stew to the group from his place by the small cooking fire he had made at Katara's request. The group was exhausted and hungry, and they quickly began to tuck in. Zuko smiled fondly to himself as he lifted his spoon to his mouth. _It doesn't seem like they can go five minutes without getting into trouble. _

It was seriously true; the Avatar and his traveling companions seemed to have a way of finding the most obscure trouble that there could possibly be. As soon as they had landed in the village of Shu Jing, after about a week and a half since departing Qiansiao,the natural beauty and peace of the place lush with waterfalls had been disturbed by a meteorite falling in the form of a flaming ball from the sky, and the group had been forced to take immediate action to prevent the fire from burning down the town while the villagers slept. _Seriously, what are the chances? _

Zuko was just as tired from the battle as the rest of his friends. _Friends, _he smiled to himself. It still left him in awe that he finally had people his own age he could consider true friends, people whose respect he had won on his own merit, not just by being born Prince of the Fire Nation. The Gaang had fought hard alongside each other, anticipating each other's needs and protecting their backs like they had known each other for years. It had been exhilarating and, even through the blanket of exhaustion that lay on the group, Zuko could feel the lingering excitement radiating from everyone.

_Well, everyone except one person, that is. _Zuko allowed his gaze to fall on Sokka. The Water Tribe boy had been quiet and withdrawn since the battle, not sharing in the congratulatory hugs with the rest of the group. Now he wasn't even touching his stew, which was a clear sign something was wrong with the normally ravenous warrior. The Prince wanted to help his friend feel better, but he wasn't too sure how. He would be the first one to admit that emotions were not his strong point, and he wasn't necessarily the most encouraging and patient person on the planet. Besides, no one else seemed to notice Sokka's morose mood, and they had all known the Water Tribe boy longer than Zuko.

On cue, Aang stood up with a huge smile, Momo chattering excitedly on his shoulder. "Great job team!" He shook his head. "This town has no idea how close they came to being roasted."

"Yeah, that was a close one," Katara agreed, finally sitting down next to Zuko to eat her own meal. "Though it was really helpful to have a Firebender with us," she looked admiringly to her boyfriend, who blushed slightly at the praise.

"I just wish I could greet them as a leader and actually take responsibility for it," Zuko said, rolling his eyes in frustration. Toph banged her wooden spoon on the outside of her empty bowl in agreement.

"Here, here! I miss the hero worship," she said, flinging herself down in the dirt, bowl and spoon going flying to hit Sokka right in the eye.

"Ouch! Watch it, Toph!" He yelled angrily, jerking himself from his seated position and spilling his own stew. Katara immediately got up to soothe the situation.

"Here Sokka, I'll just get you a new bowl—"

Her brother simply shook his head. "Don't bother," the tall boy stooped to reach for his boomerang. "I'm going hunting."

Sokka's wolf tail quickly disappeared into the forest, the group's (mainly Katara and Aang) interjections falling on deaf ears. Katara moved to go after her brother, but Zuko stopped her by grabbing her elbow.

_You haven't even eaten, _he said concernedly, gesturing to her bowl of now cold stew. He took the bowl in both hands, trying to simply reheat it for her, but quickly losing control and forcing the soup to a rolling boil. He smiled apologetically, but she just winked at him, taking the bowl and slowly exhaling cold air, cooling the soup down to just right.

_Teamwork makes the dream work, _she said. Zuko's brow furrowed.

_Well I've never heard that phrase before, but it does make sense. And that is why you will be staying here to eat something and _rest_, while I will be going after your idiot brother, _Zuko decided. Katara looked ready to argue, but then she seemed to reconsider.

_I guess Sokka had really never had another guy his own age to talk to...it's always just been me, him and Gran-gran, _she reasoned. Zuko nodded in agreement.

_I know how he feels, _he said, thinking of his early days in the Palace with only his sister and his sister's friends for company. The Prince thought he might have an idea as to what was wrong with Sokka, and he also thought he might have a way to fix whatever it was. He didn't want to get between the siblings if Katara didn't want him there but, by the same token, Sokka had become a true friend over the course of the last couple of weeks. Friends helped solve each other's problems, didn't they?

_I guess they do, _Katara answered with a teasing grin. Zuko smiled in return; while it was nice to have the ability to hide his thoughts from Katara (something he still had to teach her), when he let his thoughts flow freely as the bond was meant to be, he always ended up enjoying the outcome. He kissed his girlfriend's cheek in thanks before getting up to go after her brother.

"Oh, are you two finally done with your 'lover's spat'?" Toph asked sarcastically before laughing at them. Katara paid them no mind, happy to see Aang laughing along with the Earthbender—even in the presence of their so-called 'mushiness'. Zuko simply huffed.

"I'm going to find Sokka," he announced out loud, walking towards the tree line. He created a small ball of fire in the palm of his hands, trying to slowly increase the size of the flame so it could effectively light the way. The fire had other plans, wanting to take the power of the bond and grow far beyond his hands. Controlling the flames lately, willing the warmth not to overtake him and those around him, had become harder and harder. Katara had also experienced a power increase, but her element did not want to grow and change–it flowed; it did not fight against her, it worked with her. With fire, one had to exert control. A bender must breathe life into his fire and, once it had life, it almost had a mind of its own.

Zuko looked down at the fiery blue ball in his hands as he stopped walking, listening for any signs of the wayward warrior. He and Katara would work further on control later‒now he was here for Sokka.

As if summoned, the Water Tribe boy's tan face appeared out of the darkness. He had thrown his body down glumly on a large rock, and was halfheartedly sharpening his trusty boomerang with a worn piece of flint. Sokka looked to Zuko as his little clearing was bathed in the eery, flickering blue firelight.

"What are you doing here?" Sokka asked meanly, "Shouldn't you be back there kissing my sister or whatever?"

Zuko was reminded of Sokka speaking those exact same words to his sister when she tried to join Father and son on their fishing trip. He breathed through the forceful feeling of deja vu and focused on the task at hand.

"Is that what this is about? Is that why you're so upset?" Zuko asked evenly, not feeding into the other boy's sour mood. Sokka huffed.

"No," he said grudgingly, "You actually seem like a pretty good guy, and no one can say you don't make my sister happy, once you got past the whole 'angry guy trying to capture the Avatar' phase."

"Right…" Zuko muttered. "Then what's the problem? Everyone is worried."

"What's the problem? What's _not _the problem," Sokka spat. "Everyone here knows their role, knows what they need to do. But me?" he asked, pointing frustratedly to his chest with his boomerang. "I'm _not _the Avatar. I don't have any fancy bending or psychic spirit bond. My own kind of ex-girlfriend doesn't even come to me in spirit form like she does everyone else!" He threw his hands in the air. "Did you see me out there? I was useless tonight!"

Zuko sighed, taking a seat on a log near Sokka's rock. He idly gathered a small bunch of sticks and grass to light a small fire. "I know what you mean," he responded slowly. The other boy rolled his eyes.

"How could you know what I mean? You've been a Firebender your whole life!" Zuko shrugged.

"I wasn't always a very good one," he admitted easily. "Growing up, I always felt useless. Azula was a prodigy, and even her friends that weren't benders were masters at something else. I ran to Uncle one day, crying that I would never be good at anything."

Sokka's face softened a bit in apology. "What did he say?" He asked, intrigued despite himself.

"He told me great effort brings great reward, and I was putting in great effort with my bending. But," Zuko interjected, "He said there are also other paths, and another path may be better for me."

The other boy sat silent as he mulled that over, the only sound the crackling of the fire Zuko had lit. The Prince felt oddly at peace, he felt he might have the answers his friend was looking for.

"And that," Zuko broke their silence with a small half smile, "is how I picked up the broadswords. The next day, a great sword master and friend of my Uncle's arrived at the Palace to begin my instruction. This particular man was almost a legend growing up. Everyone knew about how he deserted the Fire Nation army because he became disillusioned with the war. The Firelord at the time, my grandfather Azulon, sent a squadron of 100 soldiers to arrest the master, but he defeated them all."

"Wow," Sokka said in awe. "Do you think you can get this guy to train me?!"

Zuko smiled, standing and offering Sokka a hand up himself. "You never know, we might be in just the right place at the right time."

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

Toph blew air noisily out of her mouth to push her bang out of place from her seat next to their fire. Once again, the Earthbender found herself thinking about Aang.

Since their departure from Qiánshào, Toph had been waiting for the oblivious Airbender to make a move. He had been sweet, _beyond_ sweet. So sweet that it was almost sickly sweet…

And Toph was sick of it, dammit!

He held her hand occasionally, he kissed her cheek by the fire. Toph had even managed to rope the monk into rubbing her feet after a long day! But still, despite all of this, despite how many mornings Toph had endured Katara doing her hair thus far, Aang _still _had not kissed her.

There could be a few reasons this for this, Toph reasoned. One of them was her biggest fear: had he leaned into a few tentative kisses so quietly that she had not noticed, even with her Earthbending senses? Did he think she was not ready to be kissed?

_Or maybe he just doesn't want to kiss me at all, _Toph thought glumly. She had been trying to push these worries to the very edge of her thoughts, only breathing life into them when she had told Katara about her doubts. The Earthbender had originally thought that perhaps Aang hadn't had his first kiss either, and confessed that to the older girl. But, to her dismay, Katara didn't have very good news on that front.

"Well, a-actually, Aang has kissed me before," the Waterbender admitted one morning as she did the younger girl's hair. Toph could tell by the sound of her voice that she was embarrassed and apologetic, but that didn't erase the slight sting of hurt.

"He has?" she muttered, picking at some dirt under her fingernails. She could sense Katara coming around to face her.

"Listen Toph, I'm really sorry," she said earnestly. "He barely kissed me, not the other way around! It was when we were stuck in the Cave of Two Lovers and—and I'm not interested in him at all, you know that!"

"Well, I guess it must just be me then," Toph tried to say lightly as she crossed her arms and turned away. She heard Katara sigh.

"Trust me Toph, these things take time. Let it happen naturally because, when it happens?" She stood to resume styling the Earthbender's hair, "It probably won't' be perfect, but it will feel like it is, and that's the important part."

Toph had done her best to follow the older girl's advice, reassuring herself at the sound of Aang's panicked heartbeat every time she came into a room but, after several days, she could feel herself beginning to despair. She hated feeling this way, all caught up over some _stupid _boy.

_A stupid boy who probably doesn't even like me, _Toph thought as she idly twirled a bunch of pebbles in the air. Sparky and Sugar Queen had disappeared to go practice their stupid spirit bond thing. Sokka had somehow proved himself worthy and was now training with a legendary sword master and Aang was probably off doing Avatar stuff. She was alone, she would probably be forever alone

_Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic, _Toph reasoned, then she shrugged.

Dramatic or not, they were at _war _dammit! And she would _not _die an amazingly heroic, fiery death without having her _first kiss!_

_That's it! I'll tell Aang I just want to kiss him, no feelings attached, _Toph decided, determinedly pushing back the little voice that told her she would only end up hurt and shooting up from her seat to do just that when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

She nearly screamed. Had she really been that absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed anyone sneaking up on her in enemy territory? _This is why boys are bad news, _she lamented.

"Uhh...Toph? Are you okay?" It was Aang, his voice and heartbeat giving him away. Toph took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

_Here he is, just say what you have to say. _But as soon as the Earthbender opened her mouth, it felt like the words got caught in her throat. She impersonated a fish for several seconds as she felt an uncharacteristic blush rising on her cheeks.

"Umm, if you don't want to talk I can just...just come back later," Aang stuttered out awkwardly, backing up. Toph snapped out her stupor.

"N-no! Sit!" Toph exclaimed, pulling Aang down next to her to sit on the "earth couch" she had created by the fire. She tried to smile at him, _guys like it when girls smile, right? _But she felt the expression hadn't come off well by Aang's quiet intake of breath.

"S-so..what did you want to talk about?" Toph asked the Avatar, trying not to let her tone sound too hopeful. Aang jumped like he had been caught, but she wasn't sure what he had been doing. His heart was beating like crazy.

"Y-yeahh...talk. I wanted to talk..about sparring!" Aang suddenly exclaimed. Toph's mouth flatlined.

"Sparring?"

"Sparring," Aang confirmed, laughing nervously. She sighed.

"Sure Aang, that sounds...good," the Earthbender agreed halfheartedly, kicking a patch of grass as she looked down in disappointment. She felt the monk shift slightly towards her.

"Toph, what's wrong?" He asked in concern.

"Nothing's wrong," she snapped, suddenly irritated. "I should have known you would've just wanted to spar," she said sourly, crossing her arms with a huff.

"What's wrong with sparring?" The Airbender asked confusedly.

"Nothing's wrong with it, if you could just make up your mind!" Toph yelled accusingly. Aang's heartbeat positively thrummed with anxiety, but he still feigned confusion. _I thought I told this stupid airbender he needs to face his problems head on. _

"Make up my mind about what?" He asked. She threw her hands in the air.

"Gee, I don't know! Do you see me as a girl, or am I just your tomboy Earthbending teacher?! You've been holding my hand and kissing my cheek and being extra nice to me all week, but you still haven't _kissed me!"_

In the silence following Toph's statement, she simply buried her face in her hands as her stomach dropped to her dirt covered toes.

"You can either kill me now or you can go," came her muffled groan from behind her palms. The Earthbender tensed, ready for rejection as she felt Aang tentatively slide closer to her.

"I'm sorry Toph," Aang said apologetically. "I didn't mean to upset you." She felt his heartbeat speed up in nervousness. "I actually, kind of—well I wanted to—" he took a deep breath, "I came over here to talk to you about that."

"About what," Toph prompted from under her palms when the Avatar went silent.

"A-about us, I guess," Aang was clearly uncomfortable. "I wanted to see if you would go into town with me...like as a...date?"

Toph felt her cheeks warm up under her hands as she processed the monk's question. _Date? _

"You...you would want to go on a date? With me?" She asked, removing her hands from her face.

"Well yeah—of course!" Aang exclaimed.

Her brow furrowed. "I...I've never been on a date before...If we go on a date, does that mean we're together?" His already excited heart immediately began to beat even faster as the monk shifted towards her and took her sweaty hand in his own.

"It doesn't, but this might," Aang took a deep breath. "Toph, will you be my girlfriend?"

The Earthbender's mind was going a million miles a minute. She had just been sitting here cursing Aang's name, and now he was sitting in front of her like one of her most outrageous fantasies. If she was still back home in Gaoling, she would never, in a million years, have dreamed that the _Avatar _would be sitting in front of her asking her to be his girlfriend. But it was clear that this was now her reality, and she was going to embrace it. She took a deep, calming breath. _I'm not in Gaoling. I'm not my parent's helpless puppet. I'm a Master Earthbender. I deserve this. I can do this. _She smiled at him.

"Well, if I'm your girlfriend, does that mean you'll kiss me?" Toph asked slyly. She could sense Aang shifting uncomfortably.

"I want to kiss you but...I don't think I'm any good at kissing," Aang admitted. "I don't want to disappoint you."

"But you've kissed Katara before!"

"Yeah, and that didn't go well at all! Did it?" Aang exclaimed, embarrassed and sensed him moving even closer to her as he took her hand in his.

"Listen, I definitely don't think you're just my Earthbending teacher. I actually think you're really pretty, especially when you smile一you don't smile a lot," he admitted quietly then, awkwardly, "and I guess you can't see me staring." He shifted uncomfortably. "I think I have a lot to learn, about this whole relationship thing….and the kissing thing, and I'm sorry I was too embarrassed to admit that."

Toph was stunned for a second before she recovered. _Now or never, _she thought wryly, then she threw her arms around the Airbender's neck, and pressed her lips to his.

It wasn't perfect. Neither of them knew what to do, so they just sort of stayed stock still with their lips against the others. Aang fumbled awkwardly with his hands before placing them on her waist, and she might have missed his mouth the first time she tried to kiss him but, despite all of that, Toph suddenly understood exactly what Katara had been talking about.

"Alright Twinkletoes, first kissing lesson: next time, _you _kiss _me._"

Even though Toph couldn't see it, she could feel the smile on Aang's face as their lips met again.

"Lesson learned," he grinned.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

Katara was bored.

To be clear, she _was _currently doing something. She and Zuko had been unable to resist the urge to walk a short distance away from camp and the suddenly irritating antics of the Gaang to find a quiet place as their skin itched like they hadn't seen each other in weeks. For the first time in several weeks, Katara was starting to feel the first licks of cold on her skin despite their tropical environment. But, once they began to attempt convergent mediation, Zuko had unusually quickly slipped into the signature calm state without Katara, and her thoughts had begun to wander in the silence, which had not only prevented her from meditating, but had also left her in her current predicament:

Boredom.

Currently, sitting next to Zuko was enough to ease some discomfort, so Katara opened her eyes with a sigh to look around, abandoning meditation for now in favor of reflection. They had been traveling deeper into the Fire Nation in the week and a half since their mid dance party departure from Qiánshào, first stopping at a starving fishing village in the middle of a polluted river that Katara had been desperate to help. With Zuko's help to convince the Gaang and his inside knowledge as to how Fire Nation factories worked, they made quick work of the factory and river and spent a few days there helping clean up and stocking up with dried fish for their travels. They had stayed in the picturesque village of Shu Jing for several days now because Sokka wanted to train with the legendary Sword Master Piandao, but Sokka's unusual absence had left the group with _a lot _of down time.

The setting and their surroundings were perfect for meditation. Shi Jing had an abundance of natural waterfalls, which made Katara feel relaxed and even more in tune with her element and internal chi. Like most of the Fire Nation, the air around them hung heavy with humidity, threatening afternoon rain. They weren't seated on meditation mats, but lush, green grass that thickly carpeted the forest floor. The clearing they had found not far from camp hosted one of the island's characteristic waterfalls and, though it was a small waterfall, it emptied into a sparkling pool that the Waterbender couldn't wait to dip her toes into. Even with these beautiful and peaceful surroundings, Katara was embarrassed to admit the majority of their down time in this beautiful place had been wasted because she and Zuko couldn't figure out this _spirit forsaken bond! _

The Waterbender shook her head. She shouldn't be thinking like that, this bond was a gift, entrusted to them by the spirits themselves. _A frustrating gift, from frustrating spirits, _she thought sourly.

It became clearer after every meditation session that something was missing, something was refusing to click. Their chi wanted to connect always, and something was preventing it from fitting perfectly into the puzzleㄧit was clear that they hadn't figured out the connection as well as they thought they had, with their continued discomfort. The bonded pair had been discussing what they learned in the library of Qiánshào feverishly since they had left the town, usually late at night when everyone was asleep and they could talk out loud without being overheard. Even though they were comfortable with the group knowing about their bond, the couple wanted to take the time to figure out the extent of their connection for themselves before trying to explain it to other people.

Of course, doing that was proving to be quite difficult. The book had said that different types of meditation could enhance one's chi, giving them almost supernatural abilities. It seemed Katara and Zuko already had access to some of these abilities. Zuko's fire when bending had only gotten hotter as his bending chi had been enhanced. Their ability to talk in their minds and share memories when they slept was also a huge part of the bond, and these powers had only gotten better the more time they spent together. Secretly, Katara thought her healing abilities also must have been affected. When Aang had been hit by Azula's lightning bolt back in Ba Sing Se, Katara had feared she wouldn't be able to heal her friend. Even with the water from the Spirit Oasis, Aang hadn't been breathing, he had been effectively _dead—_and she had brought him back.

Of course, the more they meditated, the more memories they had shared. Some were inconsequential, like when Katara found out Zuko's favorite color had always been blue, despite his element and upbringing.

Some provided prospective, like Zuko witnessing first hand the Water Tribe sibling finding the Avatar frozen so far away from where they were now.

Others still were painful, but necessary...but Katara didn't want to think about how she still sometimes shivered as the memory of ruthless blue flames scorching Zuko's skin lingered in her mind.

Abilities aside, for every dream had, every small piece of information learned, the main question still hadn't been answered: What had caused this bond to spring up between them? What made Katara and Zuko so special and made it necessary for them to be close to each other? Asking themselves these questions along with the information in the book, the couple had arrived at the same conclusion.

Their connection _was _convergent meditation.

It only made sense. The connection was stronger and their chi more enhanced the longer and closer they were to each other—so as long as they were touching, they were able to subconsciously meditate, increasing their energy and storing extra for later. _This, _they agreed, must have been what Yue meant when she said the divisions between them were thinner when sleeping. They were able to 'charge' even better when they slept next to each other, making the connection stronger overall.

_By meditating with another person, one can direct one's chi to flow _through _the other and vice versa. In this way, their chi will converge, their paths will merge. _

This type of meditation would be out of reach for most people. One's chi is naturally self-contained, so directing it to flow outside of its normal path _through_ another body should be extremely difficult, if not impossible.

And yet, here they were. To Katara, their chi flowed together so easily it almost felt like they were just one entity. It had been like that since the very first time she had touched him in when they had been held prisoner in the caves. Katara chewed her bottom lip and looked sideways to check on Zuko. _Still completely unbothered, _she thought with an eye roll as she returned to her thoughts.

They wanted to be able to understand the bond, she reasoned; they wanted to know all of its limitations so they could better understand their future. Most importantly, Katara wanted to know if their connection was permanent. If they were given this connection for a reason, did it cease to exist when they achieved whatever it was meant for? Even though both she and Zuko felt they somehow knew the connection was permanent, Katara's own insecurities demanded she confirm that—especially before she committed to living in the Fire Nation after the war ended. To answer any of their questions, they had decided they needed to do what the bond seemed to be urging them to do: convergent meditate. And yet, everytime time they attempted it, despite how euphoric it felt in the moment, there always seemed to be something missing.

She sighed; the more she thought about the problem, the more insurmountable it seemed. Sitting here, knowing she and Zuko potentially had all this power to aid Aang at their fingertips, but were unable to control it, Katara felt helpless. It felt like she was back in the South Pole, floundering and trying to teach herself to bend, knowing she could do it but unable to make it work.

Katara could feel herself getting more and more frustrated. She took a deep, calming breath, focusing on the distant sound of the water trickling into the pool. She needed to think clearly; if the bond was similar to waterbending, how had she eventually mastered that? Katara frowned, _I guess I mastered the basics, _she mused. She thought about how much time it had taken to perfect her water whip, one of the most basic offensive moves. But, once she had the hang of the whip, once she became familiar with the fundamental _push _and _pull _of waterbending, everything else came easier.

_So,_ Katara reasoned, _to know more about something, one should start from the beginning_.

The Waterbender returned to her memories of her first experience with the bond. Their connection had changed somewhat while they were in constant, close proximity on the ship, becoming a stable, buzzing hum of desire for Zuko's company. Katara was thinking about how she had felt back in the caves, holding her hand hesitantly up to his face. The bond had felt as if it was pushing her whole being at Zuko almost violently, and pulling back on him desperately with that same fervor. She thought about the _pull _she had felt, and how the distance between them felt so much thinner than the distance between anyone else. Even now, she was more aware of Zuko than ever before, no matter how far he was. When she was sitting next to him or holding his hand, she felt almost as if she could pull him _into_ her body.

Katara thought harder about that feeling, that _pull, _so similar to the push and pull of her element. Shetried to recreate the sensation within her mind, uncomfortably confronting those feelings of desperate need. She unconsciously closed her eyes as she slipped her hand into her boyfriend's, taking deep breaths as she looked inside herself and reached out with her senses, focusing on the feeling that was purely _Zuko_ just on the edge. The bond felt different than every other time Katara had tried to meditate with it. She felt like she finally understood it, what it was meant for, and what she needed to do, and like she could finally see exactly how precious the connection between them was. Katara was able to finally focus, so she focused with all her might, reached into the buzzing void between them, and _pulled _hard.

The pair gasped in synchrony as the world faded to black around them.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

Zuko woke with a gasp, flat on his back in a bright, white, endlessly large room. He shot to his feet in a Firebending stance immediately, temporarily blinded by the stark brightness after what had felt like an eternity in the dark.

The Prince looked around slowly at the clearly empty room as he tried to remember what happened. He had been meditating with Katara…

_Katara?! Where are you? _Zuko frantically projected his question through their bond, but there was no response. The emptiness of the white room was beginning to make him dizzy as he whirled with frantic eyes, searching for the Waterbender. The air inside his 'cell' felt thin and dry, and Zuko nearly choked on it as he began to feel panic rising within him. In this endlessly white room, with no way to tell what was up or down, left or right, there was no use moving, but he needed to find his bonded. His body practically buzzed with discomfort without her there. _Katara, where are you?_

_Zuko? _It was faint, but it was there.

_Katara! _But the connection had gone silent. Zuko dropped to his knees, one hand tangling in his hair, the other pounding the ground with a closed fist in frustration.

He wanted her _here _with _him _dammit!

He stared hard at the bright, white room, willing the Waterbender to present herself at his side, where she was meant to be. He concentrated so hard he almost didn't notice at first. It happened slowly, but with the background of the endlessly white room, it was easy to see all the brilliant designs that appeared, even through all his anger and frustration. Soon, the Firebender was able to see individual swirls and hazes of color where they had been none before. The gossamer strands hung silently in the air, offering no explanation for their appearance. He looked around in wonder at the different brilliant lights surrounding him, and quickly noticed a piece that stood out among the rest, it's blue color so distinct, shining through all the other colors on the spectrum, the strand calling out to his senses in every way, practically beckoning him towards it. The swirl of bright, brilliant blue extended into the distance and, though it was twisting and turning, his eyes were able to follow the strand further than all the ones surrounding it as it twisted and turned around the others before continuing through the wall.

Following some unknown instinct, Zuko cautiously approached that blue strand. He walked around it once, examining it from all angles as he tried to figure out where it started and where it ended. There was no discernible beginning or end, and the Firebender's impatience finally got the best of him. _Fuck it_, Zuko thought to himself, thinking of Katara. This was the only choice he seemed to have in this room, so he was going to follow his gut, hoping the quicker he complied, the quicker he could have his girlfriend back. Having decided his course of action, he approached the glowing strand, reached out with both hands, grasped it and _pulled. _

All at once, Zuko felt something slam into him, taking the air out of him with a _whoosh._ The tale-tell tingling of the bond told him exactly who it was_._

_Katara! _Zuko yelled frantically in his thoughts, but anything Katara was going to say back was drowned out by air rushing past them so loudly he couldn't hear himself think. The cold, solid ground had disappeared from under his feetand the momentum of her fall was pushing them both down, down, down…..

They fell for some time, the endless blackness just as maddening as the white room before it. He tried to stay focused on the feeling of Katara's body on his, calming his mind and simply relishing the knowledge that at least they were together. They landed softlyーbelying their extreme speed of descent. Zuko barely took a brief glance at their surroundings, observing that they were in what seemed to be a moonlit meadow clearing in the middle of a forest, before he wrapped Katara in a hug, holding her close.

_Where are we?_ He asked her as he smoothed her long, dark hair, reassuring himself that she was there and okay. Her chocolate eyes were hazy with confusion as she met his golden ones. _Where were you?_

_I__ー_

Before the Waterbender could continue, she was interrupted by a focused beam of light coming directly from the moon. Both teens were forced to shade their eyes as the beam of light became unbearably bright and, while Zuko would usually be concerned about their vulnerability, something about this place calmed him of his anxieties from before. Though all this had happened quickly, whatever they had done had clearly landed them here—and now that he knew Katara was safe and unharmed, Zuko would be damned if they let this opportunity to learn more about their connection slip away because he was afraid—they would face this challenge—whatever it was— head on and together. After some time, the light finally dimmed and the couple could shakily give their hands a break from covering their eyes. Zuko pushed Katara's body behind his own right before they finally got a glimpse of what the light had been obscuring.

The clearing they were standing in had been transformed into a meadow in full bloom. On the far side of the meadow, thick bushes of flowers that bloomed in a plethora of brilliant colors had formed a circle, in the center of which there was a crystal clear, blue pool of water sunken into the ground. The bright, flowery aisle stood in contrast to the dark background of trees on the path to the pool and, behind the pool, standing tall, pale and ethereal and bathed in moonlight, was Yue.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Zuko realized this scene looked very familiar. It was like an even more lush version of the clearing they had been meditating in in Shu Jing. The Prince decided not to take too much time to think more on it right this moment, however, as he reached for his girlfriend's hand, pulling her forward. Yue was the only guide they had, and with the way she had helped them so far, he trusted her. The aisle of flowers made it clear which path they should take, and together they practically stumbled through the flowers, the perfumed air and surrealness of the entire experience putting them into a kind of daze that numbed them into malleable putty. Before he knew it, they found themselves directly in front of the Moon Spirit, her presence giving the air around her an unnatural warmth. Despite this, Katara's body trembled violently next to him, her hand chilled in his own.

His instinct was to comfort her, but he suddenly felt all too warm, as if he was burning up. Looking at her face, pinched in pain and discomfort, it was like a switch flipped in his brain. Suddenly, that exhausting, wracking, burning pain from the bond caused by Katara's absence was back full force. It was as if she was miles away rather than right next to him, tucked into his side where she belonged. Zuko shuddered in exhaustion, suddenly barely feeling able to stay on his feet. His inner fire flared somewhere inside his chest, the warmth usually simmering just below the surface heating his whole being uncomfortably from the inside out. The bonded couple trembled in sync as they stood before the Moon Spirit, who watched them with a smile that was somehow sad and resigned, yet proud and loving all at the same time. She dangled one long, tan arm towards them, barely brushing the top of Zuko's head, but the Prince felt a small surge of strength. She smiled again.

"Trust me children; I, above all, know how you are feeling," she gestured to the pool, "You are strong, you will feel better soon, but you cannot continue to deny."

Without his consent, Zuko felt his legs moving toward the pool, his body pulled along partially by Katara, who was naturally comforted by the sight of water. Yue continued speaking, her melodic voice compelling them along. Without being told, the teens stripped on their way until they stood, bared naked as the day they were born to the warm air, right at the water's edge.

"I apologize, this process usually takes much more time...it is a large choice, after all," she took a deep, cleansing breath and the whole clearing seemed to breath with her.

Zuko stepped in slowly, lulled into further compliance by the warmth of the water. Steam rose off the surface, perfumed thickly by the flowery air. He looked back to offer a hand to his Waterbender, guiding her steps into the pool then drawing her into his side. They both turned to Yue, curiously absent of embarrassment despite their lack of clothing. They waited as the Moon Goddess bent to pick up a previously unseen knife, a plain silver thing that gleamed sharply in the moonlight. She then made her way to the bonded pair, walking weightlessly to the water's edge, then into the pool to stand across from them in the center.

"The fate of the world hangs in the balance. To help the Avatar restore balance to the world is your fate."

The former Northern Water Tribe Princess swept all of her pale hair over her shoulder to one side, exposing one long, snow white strand at the base of her neck. She raised the knife slowly, using one hand to hold the lock of hair while the other swung the knife without hesitation, separating the chunk from her scalp. With his new vision, Zuko could see the energy swirling and changing within the strand. As Zuko observed the spirit's actions and looked to the Waterbender tucked into his side, a deeply hidden memory was sparked in the Fire Prince's head; tales of lovers throughout the history of the Fire Nation engaging in a ceremony that would bind them for this life and the next.

Unbidden, Zuko took Katara's hand in his own, holding their joined hands up to the spirit like an offering. She smiled proudly.

"You know what you are accepting?" She asked, the long white lock dangling from her hand and swaying in the light breeze, the swirls of energy tailing playfully behind it.

"Yes," Zuko answered, without hesitation.

"It cannot be undone," she warned one last time.

"We know," Katara assured her. Zuko's head snapped to her in surprise, but she simply looked up into the Prince's face, smiling at him reassuringly. A feeling of rightness settled over him, and he was smiling back when the bond suddenly contracted between them, causing the teens to double over in pain. Worry flashed across the Spirit's face as she took in their obvious agony.

"We must hurry!" She exclaimed, lunging forward to grab the pairs joined hands, "The bond can either be accepted or denied. It cannot exist in between, uncompleted. Energy will flow uninterrupted, or it will not flow at all." Yue's slender fingers nimbly arranged their hands the right way, then began to loop the long lock of hair around their joined wrists. She wrapped the hair around before knotting the ends tightly three times.

Somehow, both teens knew this was the moment of truth. The Waterbender looked to her bonded, face open and trusting despite the tension around her eyes. They could both feel the pull worse than ever now, even worse than the bond had been in the caves right at the beginning.

_Are you ready? _

Zuko nodded at her, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips. In synch, they turned to face the Moon Spirit, who took both of their hands tightly in her own, hooking the piece of hair holding them together with a single, slender finger.

"Flow anew," she atoned. Without warning, she yanked sharply on their wrists, propelling them forward into the water with supernatural strength. The water rushed over the pair's heads, revitalizing them with energy after the torture the bond had been wracking on their bodies. For a brief moment, while suspended in silence in the crystal clear water, illuminated by the moonlight, Zuko opened his eyes to see Katara looking back at him.

The meadow was soon left completely silent as they drifted together into the darkness.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

**Author's Note: **Guys, I'm so sorry this took so long to get up. Real life took over and I had family visiting, am trying to move, and have a lot going on with work/school at the moment. I'm sorry to leave this cliffhanger, but I couldn't write anymore and I wanted to give you guys something. This chapter is like the fifth iteration I've written of the same sequence, and I think I am finally to a point where it feels good enough to share. I've probably read this thing at least 30 times, and that's not exaggerating.

I am going with the "Aang actually kisses Katara in the Cave of Two Lovers" thing simply because it's convenient for the scene, which I wrote before remembering that Aang and Katara hadn't actually kissed yet. But I like how it turned out, the scene with Toph is another one I agonized over.

To the guest who asked why I refer to Katara's hair as curly: I think it's about context. In this universe, everyone else we see has silky, straight hair of varying tones, but no wave or texture to be seen. As a black woman with kinky hair, I'll be the last person to call someone's hair curly if it's actually not, I promise you :D. I was just thinking about it in the context of the characters and the universe, and I assume that's what every other author in fanfic is doing when they write it that way as well *shrug emoji*.


	17. Chapter 17

Sokka walked through the thick, Fire Nation forest with the biggest grin on his face. He tried in vain to get the grin to shrink a littleーit wouldn't do to appear to be goofy and unprepared in enemy territoryーbut the corners of his mouth refused to recede. The Water Tribe boy gave it up as a lost cause, grinning openly as he looked at his much younger friends walking next to him.

_I guess they _are _kind of cute, _Sokka admitted to himself. The pair was walking quite close to each other, hands brushing against the other's as they laughed and joked down the path. They had been in a good mood all day, ever since Sokka had enlisted the group's help in moving the meteorite that had wreaked havoc on the village only days before to the forge so he could create…_the ultimate space sword_. _It was definitely worth it, _Sokka thought satisfiedly, considering the relentless training and work of the last few days as he admired the rich, dark metal of the freshly crafted sword grasped in his left hand.

Thinking about his pre-teen friends led the Warrior to think about the other couple in the group that had been missing when he first returned to campーthe angry guy and his sister. _Well, I guess he's not so angry anymore, _Sokka allowed. His brow furrowed as thought of his sister and her boyfriend.

To be honest, he didn't really know what to make of the whole situation. There were no other boys their age back home, so Katara had only been involved with one other guy beforeーJet. Sokka had known from the beginning the freedom fighter wasn't all that he said. It was clear to the Water Tribe boy that the relationship between his sister and the rebel had been largely superficial, and he had been unsurprised when the whole thing nearly ended in complete disaster.

This time, things were very different. They say hindsight is always 20/20, and now that Sokka was looking back on their time on the stolen ship with the knowledge of the pair's relationship, it was immediately apparent that this was no superficial bond. They had been inseparable, always having long conversations over dinner after Katara had finished serving the crew and sneaking off to spar together. If his sister needed help with some chores or needed someone to run an errand, Zuko was always the first to jump to assist her, surprisingly without fuss for a spoiled prince.

Now that their relationship was in the open, the Prince surprisingly took every opportunity to make it very clear who Katara was with, always giving her well thought out gifts and making sure to hold her hand and show her affection in public, softening his tone whenever he spoke to her and, in general, drooling over her with the softest, mushiest, moon-cow eyes you can imagine. In return, Sokka had never seen his sister look at anyone else the way she looked at the Firebender. It was a startling thing to Sokka, to see his baby sister look at someone with so much unadulterated love and trust. The Warrior couldn't even say he looked at Suki the same way, and he was the older one!

_I guess that's what happens when you don't have a freaky spirit bond, _he thought with a shrug. The supernatural bond between the two benders was of course, the most confusing thing of all. Sokka had always felt responsible for his sister; he was the older brother, he was supposed to protect her! But, even before they had left their tiny village, it had become very evident to Sokka that he couldn't do much in the way of protecting, at least not on this power-charged stage where he was one of the only ones without bending. And of course—his sister was constantly proving to him that she didn't need his protection.

Nevertheless, the Water Tribe boy had definitely struggled with his worth to the group at times without bending. That was how Sokka had taken up planning. He couldn't rely on sheer, brute strength, power, or fancy magic bending to disable his enemies. He needed to plan ahead, allow them to work against themselves and become their own downfall.

In summary, when at a loss, Sokka made a plan—but he couldn't make a plan about this bond. This ridiculously deep connection that had sprung up between two people who had previously been enemies was completely unexplainable and thus, completely unpredictable. Sokka could not help his sister, and he watched helplessly as she easily looked more and more to Zuko for support, answers, and comfort. The Warrior was watching his sister grow up before his eyes into a future none of them could have predicted. It was disconcerting, and he worried for her. He didn't know if she could do it alone with Zuko—if people of two opposing elements from different sides of the world could really be happy together.

He didn't know if he was ready to let go.

Sokka sighed loudly as they drew closer to their camp and Toph and Aang's antics wound down. He vaguely watched as Aang enthusiastically greeted an excitedly chattering Momo as the lemur (hopefully affectionately), showed Aang various objects by knocking them against the side of his skull. The Airbender carried his animated companion ahead of them into the camp, scratching the creature under the chin as he walked. Surprisingly, Toph stayed behind with the Water Tribe boy.

"That's a lot of sighing you've been doing,'' she joked to Sokka. The older boy gave a half-hearted laugh, trying to avoid Toph's clear curiosity and force a nonchalant tone.

"Yeah I mean...what do you think Katara and the angry guy have been doing this whole time?" Toph rolled her milky green eyes.

"Nice try Snoozles. Now, tell me what's _really _bothering you," she commanded uncompromisingly. All at once, the warrior's frame slumped.

"Even though Katara can sometimes be really annoying, and bossy, and controlling, andー"

"Yeah, yeah I know all that! Get to the point!" Toph interrupted. Sokka glared at her briefly before sighing again.

"Even though she can be all of those things, I really depend on her. _We _really depend on her," Sokka admitted.

"Yeah, Sugar Queen definitely has her moments," Toph admitted. "But so what?"

"So I don't want to lose her, okay!" the truth finally clawed its way out of the warrior's throat. "Zuko...even though he's a _firebender..._he loves her—and they've already started disappearing together...," Sokka continued softly, gesturing towards the empty camp. "Since our mom died, Katara has taken on so much responsibility. Sometimes...I'm not even sure I can remember what our mom looked like. And once our Dad left...all the kids in the village were so young. It was me and her, it's _always _been me and her."

Sokka sat down heavily next to the fire as they finally reached the camp. He could feel Toph's unseeing eyes on him, the exertions of the day were finally catching up with him, and he felt weighed down by all the questions springing up without answers. The balance of their world was at stake, and that responsibility fell fully upon the groups shoulders. Most days, Sokka was able to accept that by making lots of bad jokes and eating copious amounts of food. But today, the full weight of the war had finally weighed him down. He had accomplished amazing swordsmanship after only a few days of training, and not because he was a prodigyーbut because his very _life _was at stake. Keeping track of the plan for the team was a blessing and a curse, as he was kept hyper-aware of how fast the eclipse was drawing near.

And then there was _after _the eclipse, after the war was hopefully over. Sokka had already lost so much; Suki's status unclear, a childhood with his Father, Yue's sacrifice, his own Mother, and he was scared of the future where he would lose his sister to the Fire Nation too.

"Well," Toph began, "I know I've never been to the South Pole, but that all sounds _exhausting. _She's always thinking about everyone else's happiness, it might be nice for her to care about her own."

The silence of the forest seemed deafening in the wake of Toph's observation, and Sokka hung his head. "I know, I know. I know I'm just being selfishー"

"You are," Toph agreed easily, "but I understand." With that said, she stood and practically _skipped _over to Aang, who greeted her with a disgustingly wide grin. The pair quickly started to whisper and laugh to themselves, and Sokka looked away in mild disgust.

He knew Toph was right, he knew he needed to let Katara have her own life, separate from his own. They both had had such a hard childhood with so much responsibility thrust upon them, but he knew Katara had it particularly rough being a girl in their sexist society. He also knew that these questions were silly ones to ask now when everything was so uncertain and they could literally die any day, so he took a deep, cleansing breath and put those thoughts out of his head. As per usual in his moments of despair, advice from his father floated to the top of his mind.

_When the goal seems impossible, break it into smaller tasks. _

Today he had completed his first taskーlearning a skill so he could defend himself and be an asset to the group. There was of course the much larger task of the invasion and the overwhelmingly large Fire Nation army…_but _he had made a super-cool space swordーwhich was definitely something to celebrate!_ Today should be a happy day, _he decided— so it would need to include food. _No celebration at home is complete without food, _he reasoned.

The Water Tribe boy stood to search for his sister so she could at least _help _him make the meal—he was awful at cooking, but he also knew better than to interrupt his sister and her boyfriend just to request she cook him a meal. He looked to his two companions to get some more information about the direction Zuko and Katara might have headed in, but they were too busy whispering secretly to each other to pay any attention to him.

_Great, now I'm a fifth wheel, _Sokka griped to himself. He struggled to keep hold of the last dregs of his good mood as a wave of loneliness washed over him. It didn't help that he was still wracked with guilt over Suki's capture as well. _Would she be with us now? _He wondered.

Sokka forcibly shook off his morose thoughtsーthe only way to help Suki, and his family, and everyone else he was worried about now was winning the war, and the only way he would be able to do that was to stay focused and positive. He needed to take things one step at a time.

_First step: find Katara...and Zuko, I guess. _

With no clue which direction to go in but confident the couple wouldn't have gone too far, Sokka headed off into the trees. The pair had been suspiciously quiet recently regarding what they were working on with their bond, but Sokka knew vaguely that they were practicing meditating. The Warrior could admit he wasn't exactly the most spiritual guy around, but getting in touch with nature would surely help with weird, spirit meditation stuff, right?

As Sokka continued further into the forest, he began to smell the unmistakable scent of smoke. He frowned with confusion for a moment, until he heard a strange sound. It started out as a small sizzle, but quickly grew into a roar. Sokka hurried around the next corner of the path worriedlyーalmost running into a literal wall of flames.

The Water Tribe boy was forcibly reminded of their first night in Shu Jing. _Is this place just super susceptible to freaky space fires? _Sokka wondered absently as he tried to figure out a solution. The fire was growing rapidly—too rapidly for him to do anything to manually stop it without a bender's help.

_Of course the two benders that would be most useful are the ones I'm trying to find, _Sokka grumbled to himself as he turned tail to begin running back to camp, yelling ahead to let Toph know he was coming.

"Guys!" he panted as he burst into their clearing. "There's another—"

"Fire. We know, Snoozles. I'm pretty sure the whole town knows because of your yelling," Toph interrupted dryly. She stood, pulling Aang up next to her. "Where's Sugar Queen and Sparky?"

"Not here, clearly!" Sokka erupted in frustration. Toph looked ready to snap in response, but then she frowned deeply. She slowly knelt, placing one, small hand on the ground.

"Guys," she began. "You're gonna think I'm crazy...but it sounds like there's a metal man coming."

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

Katara...struggled awake.

There was no other description for this experience as she struggled to focus her foggy brain on her current surroundings. _Where am I? Where's Zuko?!_

She slowly raised her head from where it was pillowed on the lush, Fire Nation grass, blinking her eyes hard to focus her vision. As she started to look around, a foggy alarm rang in her head at the smell...and _heat _around her,

It was almost warm enough to ward off Katara's suddenly violent shivering. She shook her head violently as she finally sat up fully, wrapping her arms tightly around herself despite the unnatural heat in the air. _Focus_, she said to herself. She slowly rose to her knees, sniffing the air again then immediately coughing. _Definitely smoke. _

Through the haze collecting in the air, she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Every fiber in her being jerked toward the now identified thing. _Zuko, _Katara thought, painfully struggling forward against a weakness she had never felt before. She started to half-crawl toward the Fire Prince when he suddenly sat bolt upright with a gasp.

Though he wasn't looking at her, Katara could tell by the look of concentration on his face that he was trying to communicate through their bond. His brow quickly furrowed with frustration as he called out to her hoarsely. "Katara!"

"Zuko!" She responded with a gasping breath as she continued her slow progress towards him. "I'm here!"

The Firebender's head snapped in her direction as he immediately attempted to stand on wobbly legs. He managed to find his balance leaning against a tree trunk, and he stumbled slowly from trunk to trunk towards her.

Like a man lost in the desert to water, he nearly fell on her in relief. She in turn wrapped her arms around him with as much strength as she could muster. _I can't get close enough, _she thought her frustration to Zuko as she tried to bury her head in his chest. The prince's brow furrowed as he examined her face.

"I can't hear you," he said in disbelief. He gripped her tighter, voice slightly edged with panic. "What happened in there? What did she do to us?!"

Katara was unable to answer as a similar panic overwhelmed her. Despite the fact that they were sitting in a burning forest, the heat slowly closing in all around them, she could think about nothing other than Zuko. She felt so...incomplete.

"I can't get close enough," she repeated, out loud this time. Her quiet admission seemed to reign his emotions in. All at once, he stilled, gripping her tighter still.

"There are a lot of old Fire Nation love stories, of men and women who wanted to get married, but didn't have the money for a fancy ceremony. So they would…"

"...tie their wrists together, in a symbolically tying them together forever," Katara finished. Zuko stared at her in surprise.

"The Southern Water Tribe has love stories too, you know," she joked, but the joke fell flat as she realized what Zuko was saying.

"Are you saying you think Yue married us _in a dream_?!" Katara exclaimed, exhaustion and shivers quickly overcome by sheer adrenaline, her heart pounding in her chest. Her gut instinct said _no, _that couldn't be true. After all, it was just a dream. They had no proof of any of those things, the endless fall, the ceremony in the moonlit blue pool…all of it could have just happened in their heads.

And yet, what exactly had they been attempting to do jointly meditating anyway? _Was this the piece we were missing? _

"She said it was too soon...or something like that." Katara frowned. "But she had no choice."

"No choice but to _marry us?!" _Zuko exclaimed incredulously. She shrugged helplessly in response.

"It's a _choice_ she had us make. A commitment," Katara reasoned. _It cannot be undone, _Yue had warned.

There were so many questions she wanted to ask Zuko, and the lack of mental link between them felt like a cavernous, gaping hole. If they were now more linked than ever, even if only by some ancient ceremony, why had their mental bond suddenly retreated? She shivered violently again, burrowing further into Zuko's chest, searching for the usual intimacy she had with him when he was simply holding her hand.

And still, the forest burned around them.

Zuko shook his head, indicating with his hand for her to stand up. They both stood slowly with the aid of a tree, keeping their hands linked for some form of relief.

"We have to find the others, put out this fire, and _get off _this island," Zuko said determingly. Katara struggled to maintain the same focus as the Firebender even though her mind was still reeling.

With a silent decision, the two walked slowly—almost drunkenly—in the direction they knew their camp to be located. The oppressive heat and smoke only got worse as they headed down the path, the roar of the flames drowning out their now hurried footsteps.

They hadn't been moving long when they bumped into the rest of the Gaang.

"There you guys are! Didn't you see there was a _fire?!_" Sokka exclaimed upon seeing his sister and her boyfriend. Katara couldn't even summon the energy to respond scathingly to her brother, not to mention she was relieved to see him unharmed.

"Do we have any idea about the source of the fire?" Zuko asked forcefully, taking charge. Katara liked his thinking. _The sooner we can figure this out, the sooner we can be alone. _

"Well if we knew what the source was, don't you think we would've put it out already?" Toph asked sarcastically. Zuko grit his teeth as Aang interrupted the spat between his 'kind of' girlfriend and the Fire Prince.

"Guys, we don't have time for this! We need to—" The monk was rudely interrupted by a plaintive whistling that slowly grew louder and louder…until the cove of trees next to Aang exploded.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

In a convenient, well-placed spot on an exclusive, Ember Island beach, Azula nodded at the appropriate times in order to give the impression she was actually listening to Ty Lee's vapid chatter.

_Even _I _would feel slightly tortured if I actually had to listen to all of that, _she thought sardonically, the thought bringing the slightest quirk of a smile to her lips. The princess refocused on Ty Lee to see if her smile had been well-received, only to realize the girl wasn't even talking to her anymore. Instead, she brightly chattered to some well-meaning, clearly lovestruck _boy_, too foolish to realize he was being used as human shade and eye candy.

Azula felt oddly angered by the sight, and wondered at this strange heat she felt in her chest. It was...different from the cold iciness of her determination to rule, different from the slinky blackness of her scheming, this…

This was jealousy.

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind that Azula forcefully shut it down.

_Imagine that. Me, Crown Princess of the Fire Nation, jealous of some circus freak. _

She smiled in satisfaction even as Ty Lee added a second boy to her fan club, but a frown fought its way back onto her face when the fools actually began _fighting _over her "friend"_. _In her usual fashion, Azula turned to Mai so they could commisermatedly roll their eyes at Ty Lee's antics, a ritual Azual often participated in in order to lull Mai into thinking she viewed her as better then Ty Lee somehow. _Competition is always healthy among the ranks. _

However, she was uncomfortably taken by surprise again when she found Mai wasn't paying attention to her either. Instead, the knife thrower had _also _found some peasant boy to pay attention to her. As Azula watched, color appeared on the normally unfrazzled girl's cheeks.

"...and it's not just your looks that are amazing! It's your mind!" the guy delivered with a charming smile. Azula rolled her eyes inwardly as Mai looked down demurely.

_I'm not jealous, they're jealous! _The Princess chanted to herself as she crossed her arms and turned away from the sickly scene. _Royalty attracts only the best, so it's no surprise no one on this plebeian beach would be able to come over to me. _

As Azula fumed darkly, the annoying voice of Mai's suitor cut through.

"Hey," he said while flipping his bangs out of his eye, "We're having a party tonight. Me and Ruon-Jian over there." He pointed to his friend, one of Ty Lee's suitors.

Ruon-Jian started to move from his position at the acrobat's feet when his competition jeered at him. He stuck his chest out in return and stayed in position, waving to his friend and Mai instead.

"Yeah, me and Chan have been planning this for a week! It's gonna be the sickest party in town," he tossed his bangs from in front of his eyes again to kneel in front of Ty Lee. "I'd be _honored _if you'd be my date." He smiled winningly at her as she blinked her eyes flirtatiously.

"Wait a second, _I _wanted to ask her!" The other suitor protested.

"Well _you're _not invited!" Ruon-Jian snapped back. Their argument quickly devolved into a small scrabble as Ty Lee delicately picked her way across the fighting boys to sit with her friends.

"Boys," she said, rolling her eyes at the other girls. "They sure can act like animals," she giggled.

Azula didn't answer as she sat and silently fumed. Yes, she'd known men who acted like animals. But that was over war, never over _her. _

Her romantic life wasn't something the Princess often allowed herself time to think about. After all, it _was _a full time job plotting to overthrow your own father _and _take over the 4 nations. But, despite her valiant efforts to the contrary, her mind had not stopped trying to think more about the reaction she had drawn on Ember Island beach.

Despite her resolution not to let boys distract her on the quest to take over the world, Azula's observant brain could not help but notice the way the boys flocked to Ty Lee and Mai while they almost..._cowered _away from her.

Azula knew it wasn't her looks. She was the model, Fire Nation beauty, and she kept careful track of what she ate to maintain her image that way. She was an example to the Fire Nation people一the women, especially. _She was the ideal. _

And yet, even if in her cutest bikini that she had harshly ordered her servants to set out that morning. With her pearly white skin she hadn't allowed to be marred by the sun's rays. Even with her miniature Fire Nation crown, nestled in her perfectly dark and coiffed hair…

Even with all of those things, the boys on the beach avoided her like the plague.

_I don't need them, _Azula assured herself, even as the tips of her ears burned with jealousy as Mai and Ty Lee cooed over their respective beaus.

No, she didn't need boys, Azula confirmed to herself. And yet…

_Of all the things I've achieved, this should be the easiest. _The Princess nodded slowly to herself, treating this as just yet another goal she needed to overcome, an obstacle with code to be cracked一she only had to code the human male. _Not hard at all_, she nodded approvingly.

With this in mind, she smiled waspishly at Ty Lee; she _did _seem to have a few things figured out, and Azula reasoned she definitely wouldn't mind helping out her _friend. _

As the Firebender turned back to the conversation, Mai and Chan snuck off, and the fight between Ty Lee's two suitors came to a head as the battered and bruised boys stood in front of her angrily.

"Well, are you coming to the party with me or not?!" Ruon-Jian demanded angrily. The other boy pushed him out of the way.

"Ugh, don't go to his _lame _party! We can go to a _real _restaurant, then afterwards I can buy you gifts with my parent's money!" The boy suggested, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Uhh…" Ty Lee stuttered for a second, then gave up and discreetly chi blocked each boy before moving away out of their field of view. She sat next to Azula with a huff.

"Those boys," she said in disbelief, "I guess they like me too much!" Here Azula put her plan into action.

"Oh Ty Lee, you _know _why they like you," Azula said silkily. When Ty Lee shook her head in the negative, she playfully rolled her eyes.

"Well of course it's because you make it too easy for them! You're not challenging. It's not like they actually care about who you are," Azula said flippantly. Ty Lee's face crumbled as she began to sniffle and cry. _Too easy. _

"Oh calm down, calm down," Azula said, gripping the other girl's arm lightly. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just...weird how they act with you when they act so scared of me," the princess admitted in a fake sincere tone. This statement was uncomfortably close to the truth for her. She endeavoured to change that.

"I mean, you _are _perfect in every way," Ty Lee reasoned, wiping her eyes. "Maybe they're intimidated?"

"Intimidated?" Azula repeated, examining her cherry red nails. "Why would they ever feel like that?"

Ty Lee giggled. "Look, boys like to feel important, you know what I mean? Just look at them, smile a lot, and laugh at everything they say, even if it's not funny." She smiled widely at Azula as the Princess looked off in the distance, managing a shrug in return.

**BREAK**

_Look at them, smile a lot, and laugh at everything they say, _ Azula repeated to herself as the trio of girls walked the short distance to Chan's parent's house on the island. Being upper-society members, the house lay only a short distance from the royal beach house the girls were staying in.

When they finally arrived at the bottom of the stone steps leading to the porch, Ty Lee excitedly skipped by them to knock lightly and rapidly on the door. It was almost immediately wrenched open, an excited Ruon-Jian whisking Ty Lee through the doorway and into his arms.

_That looks...nice, _some distant part of Azula's brain thought abstractly. She squashed it ruthlessly.

_Distractions, boys are nothing but distractions, _she assured herself. She should just forget Ty Lee's advice completely. The Crown Princess shouldn't be associating with such plebeian boys anyway. When she ascended to the throne, she would have her pick of all the worthy suitors in the nation.

"...You're early," Chan was saying to Mai. She ignored him in favor of examining the wall decor. Azula managed a strained smile in Chan's direction.

"You said you were planning on partying from dusk till dawn," she repeated his earlier boast on the beach back to him. "Being the _perfect_ party guests includes punctuality. It's dusk, so we are here." She smiled at him, thinking to flutter her lashes at him as she had seen Ty Lee do many times before. He didn't swoon as expected, however, as he merely looked at them in confusion.

"Umm...okay," he shook his head. "Listen, my Dad's an admiral and he doesn't know I'm having this party. So don't mess anything up, okay?"

On the inside, Azula seethed. _How dare he? He should be grateful to have a member of the Fire Nation royal family in his wretched hut. _

On the outside, the princess employed all of her strategies to keep her anger off her face. _Laugh, even if it's not funny, _she thought. She gave her best impersonation of Ty Lee's vapid giggle.

"Oh Chan," she said lightly, "you're funny, but you can trust us." She gave him a winning smile. He smiled hesitantly in return, offering his arm.

"Can I give you a t─?" He began, but was cut off as Ruon-Jian finally stopped hovering over Ty Lee and came to pull his friend away. Chan waved as the two ran off to finish the last of decorations.

"This is boring," Mai deadpanned from where she had quietly appeared beside Azula. The princess concealed any hint of surprise, though she hadn't heard the taller girl coming.

She chided herself. She couldn't allow herself to keep being distracted like this. Self control wasn't something the Firebender usually struggled with, having mastered her body and emotions better than most adults.

_Maybe I just need to master this then? _Azula pondered. This seemed plausible. Once the boys were falling over her, just as Ty Lee had said they would, Azula would have mastered the art of men. And then, she would simply stop.

For the rest of the night, Azula put this plan into action. She made an effort to charm every boy she talked to, and though they weren't necessarily fighting over her, they were at least not cringing, which was a vast improvement.

At last, Azula decided she was ready for the original obstacle, Chan. The admiral's son was absconded in the corner with a girl vaguely resembling a rat, and the Firebender reasoned he would much rather talk to her than the rat-girl.

Poised, with confidence that could only be afforded to a member of the royal family, Azula strode up to the couple. She tapped Chan on the shoulder, smiling passively at the rat-girl as she glared at her.

"Oh, hey," Chan said as he spun around and realized who had tapped him. Azula frowned.

"I'm ready for my tour," she said helpfully, but with a bit of edge. The admiral's son somewhat reluctantly handed his glass to the other girl and offered the Princess his arm, leading her up a set of stairs. They passed through several red draped corridors, Chan boasting about his sports achievements at school and his Dad's accomplishments in the military. Azula was surprised as she watched him slowly loosen up and begin to look at her in a different light when she complimented him on a prize or laughed in just the right place.

Finally, the couple reached a stone archway leading to a balcony. Stars twinkled softly in the perfectly cloudless sky, the silhouettes of the surrounding vacation houses dotting the view in the distance.

"Anyway," Chan scratched the back of his head, finally seeming to realize he'd been talking a lot about himself, "Is this your first time on Ember Island?"

Azula smiled. "No, I used to come here years ago."

"Yeah, it's a great place, if you like sand," Chan quipped. Azula laughed lightly, looking up at the other boy from under her lashes. He blushed, "Yeah, it's like: Welcome to Sandy Land!"

The Princess laughed harder along with him, surprising herself with the genuineness of the feeling. As their tour of the house had continued, Azula found herself relaxing more in the teenager's presence. Now, on the moonlit balcony, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore was the only thing that would break the silence. She was forgetting all about her plan to perfect the art of men. Azula found her breath caught in her throat as the tall boy stood directly in front of her, wrapped his arm around her waist, and drew her near.

She shuddered at the unexpected side effect of his nearness; his warm breath on her cheek. He leaned in. She closed her eyes, her whole body tingling, stomach tight with butterflies when their lips connected. In that moment, Azula found herself wondering why her life up till now had been absent of moments like this.

Why was she living in frigid coldness when the world contained such warmth?

She pulled back abruptly from Chan's lips, putting her hands flat against his chest and pushing him away.

"Hey, what gives?!" He asked frustratedly. The Princess forcibly controlled her breathing, pushing all thoughts of his plump, soft lips from her head. _Focus on the prize. _

"I'm sorry, it's just so exciting," she smiled slowly. "Together, you and I will be the strongest couple in the entire world!" Azula surprised herself with the depth of her excitement一she had never considered having someone rule by her side. "We will dominate the Earth!" She declared, a blue fireball sparking in her hands with her excitement.

She was so distracted that she failed to notice Chan's less than lukewarm reaction to her declaration. In fact, he actually seemed somewhat scared?

"Uh...I-I have to, uh. I have to go," Chan stuttered as he slowly, then quickly backed out of the room.

He didn't look back.

Azula stood there in shock for a second before the rage hit her. The hot anger welled up inside her, her hands forming one of her hottest fireballs and sending it through the nearest wall. Luckily there was no one in the room next door to witness her tantrum.

_How many times must I learn this lesson? _Azula chided herself now that she had calmed. Her vision no longer tinted red, the Princess found it easy to clearly where she had gone wrong.

_How many times will I have to learn: I can't trust _anyone. She scoffed at herself. _Was I being serious asking him to share power with me?! _

There would be no power to share if she didn't stay focused. Her mother had taught her this lesson long ago.

_The ones you love the most always leave, and they never tell you why. You never know what you've done. _

But no more. Azula was smarter than this, she was smarter than them _all. _She would not allow herself to be betrayed by promises of love anymore.

_From now on there is only power, or there is nothing at all. _

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

_Drip drip. Drip drip. _

In the early evening hours in a fire nation prison cell, the former venerated General Iroh's eyelids twitched.

The Capitol prison tower was hardly known for its beautiful appointments, but Iroh could admit even his upbeat spirit had taken quite the beating in this wretched cell.

Nevertheless, he needed to survive. He needed to see his nephew, to make sure he had all the necessary information to help save the world. That goal and that goal alone kept the General sane as he endeavored to make the most of his prison stay.

He had spent his first few weeks feigning insanity, becoming a drooling animal at the sight of prison gruel. Of course, believing the General to be insane kept the prison staff very lax around him, allowing him to slowly understand the layout of the prison, the schedules; all the details he would need to plan his escape.

At nights, he put his old body to task. He made use of all the broken features of the room, turning it into his own personal gym. Iroh was determined to be in his best shape to be the most useful to the Avatar when the time came.

There were some nights, only here or there, where he didn't exercise at all. Instead, he had tea with his niece.

These were far from what one would consider to be 'enjoyable occasions'. _And of course, she never cared for the fine art of tea, _Iroh frowned. Mostly, the General sipped his tea quietly in the corner, indulging in the hot drink, while Azula quietly observed. Sometimes, she asked questions, cold, golden eyes analyzing him for information.

It worried Iroh that he couldn't figure out her plan, especially because that could simply mean that whatever plan she had concocted was just too evil for him to consider.

The old Firebender sighed, slowly folding his legs into the butterfly position. The thing to do now was meditate. He would need all the strength and clarity he could get. He needed to get a message to his nephew, but he only knew he was with the Avatar. To find their location, he would have to get it from the only person who surely knew it.

Azula.

She would want Zuko dead, that much he was sure of. It would have to be in a way not connected to her, but she wouldn't want anyone around who could be a legitimate threat to her claim to the throne. His niece would have had her eyes on him, no doubt using an assassin loyal to the royal family. She would have at least given the assassin a starting point, and that would be enough for his smuggled messenger hawk.

Of course, Azula would never speak this information out loud, no matter what tactics Iroh employed on his niece. He would have to go about this carefully, think hard on the most likely places he would be and probe during the conversation.

The General sighed loudly. Meditate indeed.

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

**Author's Note: ****Hey all, sorry for the long absence. Real life took over, I had to get a small surgery, work, etc. etc. I'm back now, hopefully that's all that matters. I was hit by a bunch of sudden bursts of inspiration that finally allowed me to finish this chapter. Hopefully you like the direction the story is going in. **


	18. Chapter 18

_Avatar Aang…..Aang. _

The young Airbender stirred in his sleep at the back of Appa's saddle. Sokka had taken over to give him a break, but now this annoying voice was interrupting his sleep! He swatted the air in his state of half-consciousness, hoping whoever was trying to contact him would try again later.

Unfortunately, like most things in his life, the control of this situation was not in his hands.

_Young Avatar, we will have time for all things later. Now, it's time you learned my history with Fire Lord Sozin._

Aang's eyelids twitched as he tried to make sense of what was going on. It seemed like a dream, but..._Roku?_

_Yes Aang, it is time you understand how the war began. Only once you have understood the beginning can you bring this war to an end. _

Aang nodded, rolling over and curling further into his blankets. _Okay Roku._

_Meet me on my home island the day of the Summer Solstice. _The older man looked over his shoulder as though responding to someone calling his name, then turned back to Aang. His face softened with empathy. _One more thing─don't worry about your friends. Soon their metamorphosis will be complete, _Roku ordered. Then he was gone.

_Why would I worry about my friends? Roku's Island? Wonder where that is, _Aang wondered, though he wasn't too pressed to figure it out currently. The Solstice was still 2 days away, so they had plenty of time.

Which meant he had _plenty _of time to sleep.

Unfortunately, very little time had passed when the Airbender was once again startled awake.  
This time though, it was clearly real. He could tell by the _very real _impact of two small fists connecting with his ribs.

"Aang, Aang, _AANG!" _Toph's voice cut through his light sleep easily as the Airbender immediately sat up and grabbed the Earthbender's hands. Still unused to their very new relationship, he blushed in the darkness as he pulled her hands into his lap.

"T-toph….sorry. I had a strange dream...Roku came to meー"

"We'll have to talk about that later Twinkletoes. We've got bigger fish to fry right now." The Earthbender's mouth was set in a grim line as she gestured to the back of the saddle.

Aang paused momentarily, still a little scared to approach the strange couple he knew was cuddling together in the dark corner. He couldn't believe he had been so hard-headed about accepting their connection before. There was a...a rightness they clearly had with each other that still had Aang feeling very much like he didn't belong when he tried to interrupt them.

Toph didn't give the Airbender any more time to think, dragging him forward to their prone friends.

"Try and wake them up!" She urged, her voice tinged with slight worry. Aang heeded her orders, reaching to shake Katara's shoulder.

The moment he touched her, even through her clothes, he knew something was wrong.

"They're burning up!" Aang exclaimed, eyes wide. Toph nodded.

"I thought so, I didn't want to say," she wrung her hands uncharacteristically, the stress of running from the exploding man and now their friends unconscious from some strange sickness getting to her. "I didn't want to freak out the Meathead," she said, gesturing at Sokka.

Aang closed his eyes for a second, pinching the bridge of his nose with stress. Where could they go that would be safe in the Fire Nation? Where could they bring their friends?

"You're thinking about something," Toph's pointed voice interrupted his thoughts. He sighed.

"They did look sick earlier, after we found them in the forest." He thought back to the peaceful time before a fire had broken out and they were running for their lives again. They had been close enough to camp after finding Zuko and Katara that they were able to momentarily distract "Combustion Man", as named by Sokka, quickly find Appa and depart Shu Jing. It was clear to Aang that the attacker was after the Gaang, not the town, so he hadn't felt _too _guilty flying away.

Besides, they had looked awful earlier, and had been barely any help at all when fighting their newest bad guy. _I guess this is why, _he thought sadly.

He thought back to his dreams, just before he had been rudely awakened by this emergency. _Soon their metamorphosis will be complete_, Roku had said.

Had the old Avatar been talking about Zuko and Katara?

Aang abruptly pulled away from the Earthbender to go talk to Sokka. He poked the warrior a few times in his side.

"Hey! What gives!" Sokka exclaimed, Appa loudly voicing his agreement. Aang acted natural.

"Does your map have a Roku Island on it?" Sokka nodded excitedly.

"I had wondered about that, though it wasn't really in the plan...why?" Aang furrowed his brows.

"Roku told me to go there...in a dream. He said he had information necessary to win the war." Sokka's eyebrows raised. He pulled an item from his bag that he unrolled to reveal a well-worn map. He quickly located their destination, clearly making a few quick calculations.

"We're only a few hours away," he said happily. Aang nodded, bracing himself.

"Good…one other thingーsomething is wrong with Zuko and Katara."

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

"_Zuko….Zuko," _a strange, light knocking sound drifted through the darkness, permeating the firebender's foggy mind. He shifted, slowly becoming aware of his head being pillowed on an exquisitely soft pillow, a warm weight resting on his chest. As had become far too common recently, Zuko woke while slowly evaluating his surroundings.

He was shirtless, and the humid heat that surrounded them made it clear why, though a light breeze drifted in through an open door where Zuko spotted a balcony. Cracking his eyes open further, the Prince realized he and Katara were curled up in the middle of a palatial bed, the dark wood of the bed posts rising from all four corners. Silky, red, gossamer curtains kept them partially separate from the outside, making their little cocoon feel like a retreat from the world.

Observation complete, he shifted again, blushing lightly as he noticed his girlfriend was also dressed appropriately for the warmth, the thin straps of a rich red slip showing starkly on her shoulder. _Katara, _he thought, his body relaxing in relief. The Waterbender's eyes fluttered open upon hearing her name.

_Zuko? _She called out in her mind. Slowly, she raised her head and began looking around. _Where are we? _Her body visibly relaxed with the realization that she could hear him in her mind again. Last time they had been awake, that hadn't been the case. _We've been passing out so much it feels like we've been asleep longer than we've been awake, _he thought sourly. Despite the dark thoughts, Zuko couldn't help but smile at his girlfriend's sleepy gaze.

"We're in the Palace," Zuko confirmed aloud to Katara, "though I'm not sure which room this is." She didn't seem surprised.

"Oh. It seems so familiar...even though this wasn't the room I saw in the vision." Zuko shrugged.

"Most of the rooms in the Palace look like this, though this is the nicest one I've ever been in," he admitted. "I don't think anyone had too much creativity beyond 'red'," he snorted. The air in the room went silent as Zuko got caught up in his memories, and it seemed all too soon they were both startled as a knock sounded at the door.

Zuko suddenly remembered the strange rasping voice that had woken him up. A quick glance and the couple came to a silent decision, throwing off the smooth, silken sheets and moving to stand next to each other hand in hand at the foot of the bed.

"Enter," Zuko called, his voice echoing with authority off the cavernous room's walls. The flames of lanterns lining the wall gently sparked to life. The door opened silently to reveal the pale blonde hair and ethereal outline of the Moon Spirit.

"I have very little time," Yue said by way of greeting. Zuko crossed his arms seriously.

"Where are we?" He asked pointedley. Yue raised one eyebrow, smiling softly.

"You don't recognize your father's bedroom?" She gestured elegantly with transparent fingers. "Traditionally, as I understand it of course, the Fire Lady would have separate bed chambers and not join her husband at night. But, I'm certain you two would put a stop to that tradition, correct?" She winked, slowly gliding into the room.

Zuko blinked in realization. Of course, he had never been into his father's bedroom, though he could truthfully say he had never had much desire to. Mother's bedroom had been where sleepovers happened, where she read him stories...of course, until she had disappeared.

He ignored that thought for now. "Why are we here then?"

Yue shrugged. "Well, you are to be Fire Lord soon, are you not?"

Zuko shrugged back, looking at his feet. "What does that have to do with why we're here?" The Firebender asked defensively while refusing to look at the spirit, his mouth pressing into a thin line. He sat heavily on the bed as Katara took his hand in hers and Yue frowned in apology.

"I'm sorry Prince Zuko, I do not mean to tease." She apologized. "It is my understanding that you've experienced a sleep like this before. A metamorphosis sleep."

Zuko shook his head at the memory of days of feverish sleep in Ba Sing Se, unable to eat or drink, solely dependent on his Uncle.

"Uncle said...he said I was at a crossroads...that I was undergoing a critical change," Zuko looked to the spirit. "Are you saying I have to go through _another _one of those?!"

Katara, who had remained mostly silent until now finally spoke up. "No Zuko, _we're _going through one of those," she said sadly, easily picking up on her partner's memories of his previous miserable experience.

Yue shook her head. "Don't worry, it won't be anything like that." She smiled slyly.

The Firebender took pause at that. True, this whole experience was already a far cry from his sickness in Ba Sing Se. In this….world or projection or whatever he and Katara were in, he felt at peace, a certain purpose for them being here hanging in the air. Zuko opened his mouth, but the spirit didn't let him get a sound out.

"You are wondering why this sleep is so pleasant, why you are more aware of the change happening within you," she observed. Zuko nodded slowly, the oddness of him discussing his fevered sleep with the Moon Spirit not escaping his notice.

"Before your change, it would not be wrong to say you had been poisoned," Yue admitted sadly. "You were trying to break through years of your father's conditioning and poor treatment. Every time you met Katara, you were only breaking down the walls further. It's an uncomfortable thing, leeching poison from your system."

Katara looked back and forth between the two. "But this is different?"

The spirit smiled. "It couldn't be more different. That was poison. You both are coming home."

It was silent for sometime as the bonded tried to digest what Yue was saying and determine their next steps, knowing their time was limited.

"W-why do we have to change? What...what happened back there?" Katara finally stuttered out. Truthfully, Zuko was glad she had said something because the gravity of the situation had caused them both to dance around the question. Everything was just so upside down, when they had finally reached a new normal it was taken away again. All of it was...it was honestly exhausting.

The former Northern Water Tribe Princess easily read the reservation on both their faces. "I know you all must be tired," she smiled sympathetically. "You have handled all of this so well. In normal circumstances, you probably would never have met. You would never have bonded."

She sighed deeply. "I was like you once," she admitted. The room around them slowly changed to a room all too familiar to Zuko. The red color bled away from the walls as they became white. The air in the room warped into brightly colored balls of different colors and waving strands on light.

Katara looked to Zuko in confusion and he immediately replayed his memory for her, the sequence of him being drawn to a particular strand, of pulling it sending them careening down a dark chasm together. Yue smiled at the two.

"Yes Zuko, this is the room where you chose Katara's spirit, and linked her to you." She gestured to all the different strands in the room. "Can you guess what these represent?"

"Well, I guess they're all spirits then, all the different spirits in the world maybe?" Katara guessed quietly. Yue nodded.

"While Zuko's room was all those living, this room represents all those who are not," the spirit gestured around again. "You know that, in all things, the world searches to establish balance. Every strand around us, they are all a similar size, a similar shape, similarly _powerful _spirits. And for the most part, the universe is pretty good at keeping them balanced in that way. But sometimes, every once in a while,ー" a large ball floated forwards, holding so much energy it had condensed to twice the size of the others, and dropped into Yue's waiting hands. She showed it to the bonded couple, balancing it lightly on the tip of a finger. "Sometimes a spirit too large and too powerful will get through."The glowing ball abruptly rolled off the tip of her finger, the orb hitting the ground and neatly cleaving in the middle to make two perfectly equal halves.

_Two halves… are we two halves of one whole? _They looked at each other, feeling the rightness of that statement, understanding it to be true, but not quite understanding what the implications of that would be.

"It's a simple mistake typically, automatically corrected as spirits are called back to earth. Sometimes though, sometimes one of two things happens. You meet your other half," she gestured to the happy couple standing across from her, "or they die before you're born," she admitted, indicating to herself. She quickly put a stop to the questions plain on their faces.

"My story is not important. As I said, I was like you once. I am not anymore," she took a deep, cleansing breath. "The important thing now is that you two made a choice. Your convergence is now almost complete. On the other side of this metamorphosis, you will be linked forever."

Zuko's heart pounded in his chest. _No use getting all panicked now, you've already married the girl, _he thought to himself. He shook his head. This was all so much more than he could have ever hoped for. It was overwhelming.

"So...we _are _married?" Katara confirmed, her voice half hopeful and half confused. Yue laughed, her tinkling, bell-like voice echoing off the walls once more.

"If you want to call it that. Your spirits are permanently linked, so I would say you're much more than married." She turned to leave, then turned back abruptly. "Sorry! I just remembered, there's an important message waiting for you when you wake up."

And like that, the space in front of them was empty.

In the leftover silence, the couple stared into the empty space for a moment, heads spinning with the knowledge they had just obtained. Zuko sat on the edge of the bed, almost against his will.

"I-I'm sorry Katara...I didn't mean to make a decision like that for you, I swear…" Zuko began, but Katara was already shaking her head.

_You're not the only one who knew what was happening Zuko, we're in this together. _She abruptly fell to the bed to join him, covering her face with her hands. _What am I gonna tell Sokka...what am I going to tell my DAD?!_

Zuko paled at that thought, blowing air noisily out of his mouth. He grabbed Katara's hands away from her face. _What are _we _going to tell your Dad? We're in this together, aren't we? _He slowly lowered them to the bed, wrapping the Waterbender in his arms.

"A one in a million chance," Katara whispered, "and here we are." Zuko sighed.

"Here we are," he agreed. She eyed him strangely.

"Why are you so calm?" She asked him, voice steadily rising. "How can you just sit there as our life is decided by-by some random chance?!"

"Don't you think I'm scared too?!" Zuko yelled back. Then, more quietly, "...Do you not want to be married to me?"

All the air went out of Katara's sails. _I do...I guess I just thought it would be...some day. _She frowned seriously, _someday far in the future after we've won this war and we can be together and never worry._

"I know, me too," Zuko admitted quietly. "I never expected someday to be today...but what can we do?" Very quietly, he continued "You ask me how I'm so calm...I've spent my whole life being controlled by people who wouldn't care less if I died and never made it back home. But you...I chose you. When we meditated in Shu Jing...I chose _your _spirit, I couldn't not," he took a deep breath.

"Since I met you, I've been able to do all the things that scared me一_terrified me_. I stood up to my sister, I've done the right thing. _Nothing _scares me more than going back to the Fire Nation. I'm going to have to face all those people who cheered my father on, who watched me be banished and never looked back. I will have to face them and tell them I'm their leader now, that I've detoured the nation from it's domination a hundred years in the making. I will have to tell them that all the sons they've lost, all that they've suffered…it was all for nothing," Zuko admitted bitterly, but he couldn't stop.

_I'm calm now, but don't think those thoughts haven't gone through my head. Those first couple days on the ship, I constantly asked myself: _Is it worth it? _Through all those thoughts, all those doubts, the only thing that kept me going was that you would be there on the other side. You make me feel like I could take on your dad...I could take on the whole world, with you by my side._

_I've spent my whole life being angry at _something. _Anger will not end the war. Anger will not bring my nation peace. _He shrugged. _I already decided I wanted you forever. What is there to be angry for? _

Having said his piece, Zuko felt strangely restful. He stroked his...his _wife's _hair slowly, closing his eyes and breathing in the scent that was solely her. She scooted close, burrowing her head in his chest, her face warm.

"I'm scared too," she whispered, breath warm on his chest. "I'm scared of this war, I'm…._so _scared of leaving home forever," she pressed her body closer to his, trying to get impossibly closer.

"I wish you could have both一"

"No, you have responsibilities," Katara interrupted. "Responsibilities that would have kept you from me, on the other side of the world for the rest of our lives if it weren't for a one in a million chance. I guess a one in a million chance would have to come with a problem or two."

Zuko frowned in thought. He had been raised with the idea that he would rule the Fire Nation. As soon as possible, it would have been expected of him to choose a wife and secure the royal bloodline for his eventual rule.

Katara had watched her tribe spiral to the edge of subsistence.

_These problems don't have to be solved right now, _his girlf一_wife_ interjected, thankfully interrupting his gloomy thoughts.

"How long do you think we'll be here?" she wondered thoughtfully. He frowned, thinking of how little time they had until the planned invasion.

_Hopefully not too long. _

Her blue eyes flickered to the open door, conflict and confusion clearing the way for curiosity. Though Zuko wanted to continue talking, the handle of the door was practically glistening with temptation. Throwing his legs over the side of the bed, Zuko slowly stood, still not completely at ease back in the Palace, his former home. Shaking off his thoughts, he offered a hand to Katara to help her up, laying a kiss on her fingers before his brain could process the action. She blushed in response, a smile blossoming across her face.

_Lead the way, _Katara instructed teasingly. Zuko pulled her in close, wrapping his arm tight around her waist and opening the door further with his free hands. In tandem, they peeked their heads around the corner looking at both sides of the hallway. The coast seemingly clear, Zuko took a few moments to look around and gather his bearings. They must be in the Royal Family Wing, on the west side of the Palace. Zuko knew vaguely that the kitchens were located on the floor below them, next to the family dining room, though he couldn't remember exactly where, so they headed in that direction.

Together they walked in silence down the hall, Zuko trying to ease the tension in his shoulders as he pointed out hallways leading to the Library, the Gardens, and..._my old room is this way I think. _Zuko interrupted the silence, overwhelmed by a strange, sadistic desire to go and see the home he had been denied for the last 3 years. He turned towards the door without waiting for a response from Katara, forcing her to quickly turn on her heel and follow him before she lost him in the labyrinth of hallways. They rounded a corner and came to a hallway with a door on either side of the hall.

"That was Azula's room," Zuko said, nodding to the door on the right. "It used to be my room; I liked it because it had a view of the gardens. Azula convinced Father that I had agreed to switch with her and I came home from a small trip with Uncle to all of my things moved across the hall." He smiled ruefully, looking at his old room door.

He knew without turning the knob what lay behind those doors. It was the room of a boy obsessed with pleasing his Father, even after he had had to completely redecorate when he had his things moved across the hall.

It was a room covered in Fire Nation insignias and war memorabilia, even though Zuko hated fighting.

It was a room Zuko had not seen since he had been burned一the thought of returning to it triumphantly, Avatar in hand being the only thing keeping him going at times.

He pulled his hand away from the knob as though burned. In a freaky spirit dream, there could be nothing good behind that door. He turned to his girl-_wife_, smoothing a soft thumb over the furrowed brow of her worried expression. She smiled softly at him.

_Let's go to the kitchen? _She asked, reaching up to place a kiss on his cheek. He smiled despite himself. The burst of warmth from just that kiss made the hollow in his chest caused by being confronted with his past not seem so big after all. _No need to press my luck though, _he thought to himself, pressing his lips to the Waterbender's.

_I am hungry….and I do want to get back to that bed at some point..._

_**ZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutaraZutara**_

The air rushed out of Iroh with a _woosh _as his feet made contact with the hard ground. He bent his knees slightly to absorb the impact, but wasn't able to take too much time to adjust as he quickly stepped behind a wall into a shadowy corner. Almost instantly, the night guard passed him none the wiser. The General listened closely to the footsteps pacing away as he looked towards his target.

The Royal Post Office housed hundreds of messenger hawks. He was going to need one to transmit his important package to Zuko. He felt somewhat anxiously at his pocket to make sure the other crucial item was still in there. His fingers comfortingly traced the sharp edges through the fabric of his pocket as his eyes scanned the path to his objective.

Iroh had broken out of his cell on multiple occasions at this point, constantly testing his opposition. Everytime he returned to his cage it was a test of his patience and will, but he would do anything for the boy he considered a son. Including keeping his most dangerous opponent distracted so he had some inkling of a chance.

He sucked in a breath as he flattened his back against a wall drenched in shadow. For several long seconds, Iroh barely breathed as the guard casually checked his pocket watch, then continued past, his light whistle bouncing off the walls between the heavy falls of his boot steps. The General relaxed, continuing his trek towards his destination.

It unsettled the old Firebender like nothing else that he could not be with his beloved nephew when he had finally seen the right path. It didn't matter how much he had been preparing for this day, since Zuko's metamorphosis fever had struck him. Iroh had known great change was approaching, had known he would be separated from his pseudo-son.

The General vaulted over a window ledge to crouch on the bottom floor of the Hawkery. The eyes of the intelligent birds followed him despite the dim light. Ignoring the curious eyes for the time being, he hurried over to the desk to scribble his note and tie the object securely to the letter.

In spite of the danger of his situation, staring at the page, his mind wandered. _Something for him to understand the good was always within him. Something for him to realize he is the _true _Firelord. _

Would it be enough? Iroh was unsure. His time in the cell lent itself to much meditation, and the old Firebender had thought long and hard on the situation. There was something that was cloudy, something he didn't know.

He shook his head. _No more time for wondering, _he thought firmly to himself. He chose a bird at random, smiling when it blinked a single eye sleepily at the former General.

"Well hello, are you feeling up to delivering a letter tonight?" He asked the hawk rhetorically as he again double checked his package and pre-written letter, somewhat nervously turning the tightly wrapped parcel. After he tied he saw the mail safely off, it would be time for Iroh to return to his cage. This was his least favorite part of his escapes.

_It will be worth it, _Iroh assured himself. _When Zuko needs me most, on the Day of Black Sun, I'll be in the perfect position. _The younger Firebender would need someone on the inside, and even from his cell, Iroh was in the best position inside the city walls.

Shaking his head and trying to re-find his previous centered state, the old Firebender made his way back 'home' the same way he had come. He took his time enjoying the fresh ocean air, and by the time he returned to cell, daylight was about to break.

_Just in time_, he thought with a sly smile. Iroh slipped past the guard who sat with his customary morning tea, taking him on average 15 and a half minutes to finish and giving him plenty of time to get in undetected.

Once in his cell, the general breathed out a sigh of relief. He sat wearily down on his prison standard rock-hard cot bed, re-shackling his ankle before he forgot. Once that was done, the old man stretched out, closing his eyes in exhaustion and thinking he might be able to get another hour or two of sleep in.

Of course, the clicking of her boots told of her presence far before she was standing in front of his cell, the golden light of dawn glinting off her intelligent golden eyes. Iroh feigned sleep for another moment, stretching out the confrontation, but of course, his niece would not be denied.

"Come now Uncle," the hairs on the back of Ir.h's neck stood up. "I can't imagine you're too tired to talk to your... future Fire Lady/"


End file.
